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Internet & Digital Media Recent Headlines Google, YouTube Asked to Unmask Heckler Associated Press A New York City business consultant wants a court to force YouTube and owner Google to unmask a cyber cipher who posted what she says are unauthorized videos and comments that hurt her reputation. Google says it has "a track record of advocating on behalf of our users." AOL to Become Largest Hirer of Journalists San Jose Business AOL's plan to expand its Patch.com hyper-local news websites to more than 500 neighborhoods by the end of the year will result in the hiring of 500 journalists to serve as local editors. Patch will be the largest U.S. hirer of full-time journalists this year, AOL says. Google TV Plan Causes Jitters in Hollywood Los Angeles Times Google is touting an ambitious new technology, called Google TV, which will marry the Internet with traditional television. But the prospect of Google entering TV frightens many in Hollywood. Some say the Internet giant's moves will "destroy the legacy business model." Yahoo Battles Disney to Acquire CafeMom AllThingsD Yahoo is said to be eager to close a $100 million deal to acquire CafeMom, a social-networking and community site aimed at mothers, in a move aimed at turbocharging the Internet company's strategy in the women's space. Other interested buyers reportedly include Disney. Digital Media M&A Activity on the Upswing BtoB Mergers and acquisitions transactions in digital media increased to 564 in the first half of the year, a 14% jump compared with the year-earlier period, says Peachtree Media Advisors. In the same time frame, the value of the deals increased by 117% to $9.0 billion. Facebook Ready to Unveil Location Service Bloomberg Facebook may unveil location services at a press conference this afternoon at its Palo Alto headquarters, taking a page from fast-growing startup Foursquare, analysts say. Facebook has said for months that it is working on a location feature, without providing details. Social Network Ads Set to Reach $4.26 Billion San Jose Business Global spending on advertising on social networking sites will grow to $4.26 billion next year from an estimated $3.3 billion this year, according to eMarketer. Facebook will account for half of all social network U.S. ad spending as MySpace "fades in importance." Apple Said to Launch 7-Inch iPad by Christmas PC World Apple is readying another tablet computer similar to the iPad but with a 7-inch touchscreen for launch as early as the end of this year, according to a report in Taiwan's Economic Daily News newspaper. The manufacturers named in the report are declining to comment. BermanBraun In $100 Million Online Ad Deal AllThingsD BermanBraun is said to have signed a $100 million advertising deal with Starcom MediaVest, the media agency unit of advertising giant Publicis Groupe. Starcom gets a "first look" at the online properties created by the production firm run by Lloyd Braun and Gail Berman. Facebook Ownership 'Proven' by $3,000 Check Bloomberg Paul Ceglia, who is suing over claims he owns 84% of Facebook, has a copy of a $3,000 cashier's check his lawyer says is proof of a contract with CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The 2003 check, Ceglia says, entitles him to control of the world's biggest social networking website. AOL CEO Aims for 500 Local-News Websites Bloomberg AOL is betting on the success of CEO Tim Armstrong's vision for community news and advertising as it plans to start 400 more news websites by year end. AOL's investment of $50 million+ is jumpstarting the expansion of Patch.com's local news sites from 100 today. Apple TV Revamp Expected In Google Fight USA Today Apple is expected to revamp its under-performing Apple TV gadget, which plugs into a TV so users can watch movies and shows via iTunes, in order to take on the new Google TV service when it launches this fall. Apple is likely to cut the price of Apple TV to $99 from $229. Google's YouTube Dominates In Online Video Dow Jones Google's YouTube continues to dominate U.S. online-video viewing, while Yahoo ranks a distant second, according to new data from comScore. Facebook is moving up to the No. 3 spot. Vevo is dropping to fifth place, with Microsoft also passing the music-focused site. Hulu Seen Facing Hurdles to Stock Offering New York Post Hulu's plan to go public has some in the industry wondering if the online television hub is really ready for such a move. The venture is still figuring out the best way to profit from TV shows online. "It just doesn't make sense," says one Internet exec. "What's their story?" Apple's iPad to Face Flood of Wannabees Fortune The iPad is a suddenly-hot product -- and Apple pretty much has the category all to itself. But starting later this year, the tablet device will be confronted by an army of other touchscreen machines from the likes of Sony and RIM. At least 32 wannabees are in the works. Hulu Online Video Hub Seen Ready for IPO New York Times Hulu execs are said to be talking to investment banks about pursuing an initial public offering that could value the company at more than $2 billion. The video hub, founded as a joint venture of News Corp., Disney and NBC Universal, could go public as soon as this fall. Google to Buy Visual Search Site Like.com TechCrunch Google is said to be in the final stages of acquiring Like.com, in a deal reportedly worth $100 million. Like.com allows users to search for products based on a visual cue. Users are able to highlight a product in an image, then Like.com searches for similar products. Facebook Buys Content-Focused Chai Labs AllThingsD Facebook is said to be acquiring Chai Labs, a content-focused startup, for around $10 million. The Mountain View, Calif.-based firm, which was founded by a former Google AdSense exec, offers a tech platform that enables publishers to launch "search-friendly sites." MySpace Ex-CEO Resurfaces at 'FarmVille' Associated Press Zynga, the maker of popular social networking game "FarmVille," is hiring former MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta as its executive VP of business operations. Van Natta left MySpace in February after conflicting with parent News Corp.'s chief digital officer Jon Miller. Twitter Button Embraced by News Websites Journalism.co.uk Twitter's new "tweet" button, which lets readers share links to articles and web content via the microblogging service without leaving the page, is being embraced by newspapers and news websites. Earlier users include USA Today and many regional newspapers. Starbucks Plans Hyper-Local News Service Los Angeles Times Starbucks, hoping to leverage its move to offer free Wi-Fi at its stores, is working with Yahoo to create a news service with content providers such as USA Today. "Because we know what store you're in, we can give you hyper-local news," says Starbucks exec Adam Brotman. Demand Media Faces Harsh Spotlight in IPO GigaOm Demand Media is seeing its weaknesses exposed under the glare of the public spotlight, as the "content farm" prepares for an initial stock offering expected to be in the $1.5 billion range. Questions are being raised about traffic, which appears to have dropped sharply. Google's Android Outsells the Apple iPhone BizJournal Google's Android platform is the most popular software for smartphones, overtaking Apple's iPhone and Research In Motion's BlackBerry, according to Gartner. Also: Oracle is filing a complaint for patent and copyright infringement against Google over Android IP. News Corp's MySpace to Push Music Videos Associated Press MySpace is further defining itself as more than a catchall social network as it launches Romeo, an app that plays random music videos to match users' moods, including "chill," "naughty" and "studying." MySpace plans to roll out several mobile apps in the coming months. Facebook Global Ad Sales to Hit $1.2 Billion Advertising Age Facebook will book $1.285 billion in advertising this year -- almost double the $665 million the social network made in 2009, according to a new estimate by eMarketer. Facebook's self-serve ad platform is said to account for 50% of the company's ad revenue. Twitter Offers 'Tweet' Button to Publishers Wall Street Journal Twitter, borrowing a page from Facebook, is allowing online publishers to embed a "tweet" button on their websites. The goal is to make it easier for Twitter users to share tweets. Large sites including CNN.com, Huffington Post and YouTube are adding the button. Starbucks Adds Rodale to Digital Network Puget Sound Business Rodale is among the partners Starbucks is to its digital network launching this fall in partnership with Yahoo. Previously announced content providers include AOL's Patch and the New York Times. The network will be free for customers using Starbucks' in-store Wi-Fi. Digital Media Poised to Overtake Print in 2014 USA Today Consumers will spend more on digital media than they will on print by 2014, according to the new forecast from Veronis Suhler Stevenson. The average person will spend $159.59 in 2014 for Internet and mobile services, while spending $158.88 on print media. Google Steps Up Acquisitions in Growth Push Bloomberg Google is doubling its pace of acquisitions this year and expects to maintain that rate after some internal projects have failed to spur growth. "We can afford it," says CEO Eric Schmidt. The company is snapping up startups in social networking, mobile technology and advertising. Facebook, AOL Quietly Talk Online Ad Hookup New York Post Facebook and AOL are said to be quietly discussing a partnership aimed at boosting their online advertising businesses. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong's background in Internet sales makes him an attractive ally to Facebook. "Put them together, you get context, contact and content." MySpace Loses Another Exec Amid Struggles Hollywood Reporter The revolving door at MySpace is spinning again: Jason Kirk, VP of video and entertainment, is leaving the News Corp. property. Kirk, who is joining Ustream, is the latest defection to hit the social network. In June, MySpace was rocked by the exit of boss Jason Hirschhorn. Twitter Relevance Criticized by Site's Creator Fast Company Twitter's biggest challenge is "figuring out real time relevant ways" to filter information, says creator Jack Dorsey. "We have all this information flying through the network -- like planes landing in the Hudson -- but how do we immediately tell that that one tweet is important?" Plastic Logic Pulls Plug on E-Reader Device San Jose Business Plastic Logic is canceling its Que e-reader, saying the market has "dramatically changed." The product debuted in January and was expected to ship this year. The company says it will "take the necessary time needed to re-enter the market as we refocus, redesign and retool." Google, Verizon Seek 'Path to Open Internet' Washington Post Google and Verizon are announcing a proposal on net neutrality that could allow Verizon, for example, to block Microsoft's Bing from subscribers' mobile phones. CEOs Eric Schmidt and Ivan Seidenberg claim the proposal "ensures the robust growth of the open Internet." Twitter Hires First Ad Sales Execs for Growth ClickZ Twitter is hiring its first two advertising sales execs. "We're putting together a top-flight sales team as we open our 'promoted suite' of products to more companies," says COO Dick Costolo. The execs, Dan Coughlin and Amanda Levy, will be building ad-sales teams. Google to Acquire Social Gold Payment Product TechCrunch Google is said to be acquiring online payment firm Jambool to help form the backbone of its social strategy for the Internet giant's upcoming war with Facebook. Jambool's Social Gold payment product gives app developers the ability to build payments into games. Yahoo Launches 'Infinite Browse' for News PC Magazine Yahoo News is testing an "infinite browse" feature, which adds a small window of search results at the end of a news story. The goal is to encourage users to continue searching and consuming content within the Yahoo network. Search "complements the work of editors." Starbucks Plans Digital Network with Yahoo Puget Sound Business Starbucks plans to launch its own "digital network" this fall, in partnership with Yahoo. The network, available free to customers using the coffee chain's Wi-Fi, will include news from partners including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today and AOL's Patch. Facebook in 'Lockdown' Over Google Battle VentureBeat Mark Zuckerberg is said to have declared that Facebook is on "lockdown" for 60 days as it works to revamp operations in advance of Google's rumored launch of a competing social-networking service. The CEO even has a sign saying "Lockdown" on his office door. Google, Apple Prepare for Mobile Ad Fight Guardian Google and Apple are gearing up to launch ads on their apps, a strategy that could change the advertising landscape forever. Apple's model, like Google's, reduces media owners' involvement to a minimum. Apple's approach turns media owners into "developers." Apple iPad is Just the Beginning of Tablets CNET The media pad market is brand new. And it's not going to be stuck at the Apple iPad's current 9.7-inch diagonal. Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and other firms are planning to release media tablets in a variety of shapes and sizes with offerings including better multitasking. Google Backs Away from Support for Open Web New York Post Google and Verizon are said to be in talks to reach a deal over net neutrality. Under one possible scenario, Internet service providers like Verizon would be allowed to push YouTube videos to Web browsers faster than other videos if YouTube owner Google pays a fee. Google Books Tallies Number of World's Books TechCrunch The Google Books blog is posting an item about the way in which the project calculates what is believed to be an accurate count of every book in the world. The current number is 129,864,880. Google Books searches the full text of books for storage in a digital database. Google to Pass Apple in Smart Phones by 2012 San Jose Business Google's Android will surpass Apple's iOS as the No. 1 smart phone operating system by 2012, according to a study by iSuppli. "The proprietary nature of the iOS and Apple's closed system business model will limit the number of smart phones with the operating system." Google Acquires Slide in Social-Gaming Push TechCrunch Google is said to be acquiring Slide, a personal media-sharing service for online social networks, for $182 million. The move appears to be part of an effort to create a social gaming and apps strategy. Also: CEO Eric Schmidt says: "I doubt that we'll get into significant gaming." Google, Verizon in Deal on Web Traffic Rules Bloomberg Verizon and Google are said to have reached a deal on how to handle Internet traffic, striking their own accord on policy being weighed by U.S. officials. Their deal would restrict Verizon from slowing Internet content over its wires, but wouldn't apply to Internet use on mobile phones. Google Phasing Out 'Google Wave' Service MarketWatch Google plans to shut down its Google Wave messaging and social-networking service due to lack of user interest. Google Wave, unveiled just last year, was designed to aggregate users' communication in a central location open to a number of participants. Motorola, Verizon Team to Launch TV Tablet Financial Times Motorola is teaming up with Verizon Wireless to develop a digital tablet device to rival Apple's iPad. The product, operating on Google's Android software, will allow users to watch television and is expected to tie closely to Verizon's FiOS digital pay TV service. RIM Unveils New BlackBerry to Rival iPhone Reuters Research In Motion is releasing a new BlackBerry device, the BlackBerry Torch, aimed at wooing consumers away from Apple's iPhone. But analysts say the handset won't blow away the competition. "RIM is playing catch-up. Not a lot here is super exciting." Google May Seek 'Secret Deal' with Regulators Bloomberg Google, AT&T and Verizon execs held a rare, private meeting over the weekend with Federal Communications Commission officials in efforts to resolve a dispute over U.S. Internet regulation. Critics fear the FCC may be negotiating a "secret deal" on net-neutrality rules. AOL Sees $1 Billion Loss, Ad Revenue Drop Associated Press AOL says a $1.4 billion accounting charge pushed the company to a $1 billion-plus net loss in the second quarter. AOL is in the midst of a turnaround effort under CEO Tim Armstrong. But since splitting from Time Warner, the company is seeing few signs of progress. Facebook Advertisers Boost Spending 10-Fold Bloomberg Facebook's biggest advertisers are said to have boosted spending by at least 10-fold in the past year as the social network grows. "You can't ignore the reach." Also, the company plans to make more acquisitions in areas such as virtual currencies and mobile social networking. Barnes & Noble for Sale Amid Digital Rivalry New York Times Barnes & Noble is putting itself up for sale, a move that is alarming book publishers, who are watching their business increasingly shift to online retailers and e-book sales. The largest U.S. book chain is facing stiff competition from the likes of Amazon and Apple. Google Surpasses Apple for Smartphones Bloomberg Google's Android software outsold Apple's mobile operating system for the first time last quarter among new U.S. smartphone users, according to Nielsen. Android's U.S. success may mean Google will overtake Apple’s iOS globally earlier than previously expected. Yahoo Drops Top North America Sales Job Reuters Yahoo is splitting the duties for North American sales among four execs instead of replacing sales boss Joanne Bradford, who left the Internet giant nearly five months ago to join Demand Media. The new structure aims to "bring the sales team closer" to management. Apple, Amazon in Probe Over E-Book Deals MarketWatch Electronic-book deals between Amazon.com, Apple and major book publishers may be anti-competitive, says Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal. The market for e-books is "set to explode," with Amazon and Apple "likely to command the greatest share." Twitter: Bill Cosby Tweets He's Not Dead MyFoxNY Bill Cosby is using Twitter to let fans know he is still alive after rumors spread across the Twittersphere of his death. Ever the salesman, his tweet also mentions that he has a new iPhone app available. Cosby, 73, previously was rumored to be dead in February. Social Media Becomes No 1 Online Activity San Francisco Chronicle Americans are spending a quarter of their Internet time on Facebook or other social networking sites, while online video games have passed sending e-mail as the second most popular online activity, says a study from Nielsen. Also, viewing of online video has passed search. Google Acquisitions Exceed $1 Billion in 2010 Associated Press Google has spent $1.1 billion during the first half of the year buying up 22 companies, according to a second-quarter report from the Internet search leader. Google listed 20 of its acquisitions under one lump sum totaling $293 million, or an average of $14.7 million per deal. Apple iPad's Latest Challenger is Blackberry Bloomberg BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is said to be planning to introduce a tablet computer, called BlackPad, in November to compete with Apple's iPad. Also: BlackBerry services will be suspended in some Arab nations because of "security concerns." AOL Exec: 'We Have a Big F----ing Problem!' CNET AOL has "a big f-ing problem," says Brad Garlinghouse, the online media company's mobile and Internet chief, during a talk about whether tech companies can experience legitimate turnarounds. "The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have a problem." Twitter Begins Suggesting Users to Follow Mashable Twitter is launching a feature called "Suggestions for You," offering up personalized recommendations of users to consider following. Algorithms find other accounts of potential interest using various factors, including "people you follow." Also: Twitter hits 20 billion tweets. Craigslist Gets Competition From Social Media MediaPost Craigslist may have made message boards popular, but some social media gurus out of Los Angeles have built a help-wanted site on the promise of hyper-local search and social media. The site, Turbo140.com, could give the grandfather of message boards some competition. Tumblr Hires Newsweek Editor for Media Push New York Times Tumblr is hiring Newsweek senior editor Mark Coatney as its first "media evangelist." Coatney, who had headed up Newsweek's social efforts on Twitter and Facebook, will help a growing number of news publishers work with the fast-growing blogging service. NYC Subway Riders to Get Wireless Access Bloomberg New York subway platforms and portions of the tunnels are to be outfitted with mobile-phone and Wi-Fi service in a $200 million New York City Transit plan. The system will give New York commuters a service people in Singapore, Berlin and Tokyo have had for years. Google Eyes Deal With Social Gamer Zynga TechCrunch Google is expected to announce a partnership with social gaming behemoth Zynga. In the strategic deal, Zynga will become the cornerstone of a new Google Games initiative. "We haven't announced it," says CEO Eric Schmidt, but "you can expect a partnership with Zynga." Facebook Expected to Delay IPO Until 2012 Bloomberg Facebook will probably put off its initial public offering until 2012, giving CEO Mark Zuckerberg more time to gain users and boost sales. Waiting lets Zuckerberg, 26, hone the skills needed to steer a public company while facing criticism on such matters as user privacy. YouTube Extends Video Time to 15 Minutes InformationWeek YouTube is now allowing non-partner content creators to upload videos with running times in excess of 10 minutes. The new limit is 15 minutes, an increase that reflects audiences' growing affinity for longer form content online. YouTube is promising creators "15 minutes of fame." Apple, Publishers in Subscription App Scrap New York Post Apple CEO Steve Jobs is said to "playing hardball" with magazine companies over allowing subscription apps on the iPad and sharing customer data with publishers. Content producers "will flee as soon as there is competition," warns one publishing exec. Microsoft Preps Tablet to Rival Apple's iPad CNET Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, acknowledging Apple's early success with the iPad, says his company is developing its own Windows-based tablet device. "They'll be shipping as soon as they are ready. It is job one urgency. No one is sleeping at the switch." Social Networks 'More Appealing' to Women San Jose Business Social networking sites reach a higher percentage of women than men globally, with about 76% of all women online visiting a social networking site in May versus nearly 70% of men, according to a study by comScore. Also, women spend more time on YouTube than men. Google Eyes Mobile Content for Newspapers Wall Street Journal Google is positioning itself to earn some $10 billion per year via mobile devices, says CEO Eric Schmidt. “If we have a billion people using Android, you think we can't make money from that?" Among other things, Google might sell access to digital content from newspapers. CIA, Google Seek 'Future' of Web Monitoring Wired The investment arms of both Google and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency are investing in a company called Recorded Future, which scours websites, blogs and Twitter accounts in real time and uses that data to "go beyond search" and "predict the future." IAC's Diller: Ask.com Unable to Rival Google Daily Finance Barry Diller, chief IAC/InteractiveCorp, admits that Ask.com has failed so far to turn into a viable alternative to Google. "I was wrong about the competitive landscape with Google. Ask itself is not a large segment of the company. I had hoped it would become one." Facebook Unveils Questions Service in Beta CNET News Facebook is rolling out its much-anticipated Facebook Questions service in a beta test. When users ask a question on Facebook, they will be "asking it to the world." All questions will be completely public. IAC's Ask.com recently launched a question-and-answer service. Amazon Offers $139 Wireless Kindle E-Reader USA Today Amazon.com is unveiling its answer to Apple's iPad and other devices seeking to replace its Kindle as the premiere e-book reader. The new third-generation Kindle is lighter, smaller and faster than the current model and also has a sharper display and twice the storage. Google Developing Service to Rival Facebook Wall Street Journal Google is said to be in talks with several makers of online games as it seeks to develop a social-networking service to compete with Facebook. The effort is the latest attempt by the search giant to capture users and advertising that are flowing to social networking. Yahoo Points Out Error in ComScore Numbers Wall Street Journal An error by online research firm comScore undercounted Yahoo's U.S. page views by more than a billion in June, the Internet giant says. ComScore, which uses a panel of 2 million users as well as website traffic logs to evaluate user behavior, blames a processing error. Facebook Near Buy of Social Activity Service TechCrunch Facebook is said to be in late stage negotiations to acquire Hot Potato, the social activity service. A deal could be finalized "at any moment." Hot Potato connects fans around live events, offering tools for real-time social collaboration among people who share interests. LinkedIn Value Tops $2 Billion After Stake Bloomberg Hedge fund Tiger Global Management is said to have paid $20 million for a stake in LinkedIn, valuing the professional-networking website at more than $2 billion. The purchase, for about a 1% stake, is from existing shareholders and doesn't represent new investment. Amazon: We've Run Out of Kindle E-Readers Barron's Amazon.com says it has temporarily run out of Kindles. The e-book reader is "temporarily out of stock." The sudden shortage of Kindles could mean there has been a surge in demand -- or it could mean a next-generation Kindle is on the way, observers say. Online Video Use Forecast to Soar by 2014 Adweek By 2014, the number of U.S. online video viewers will represent 77% of Internet users, or 193 million people, predicts eMarketer. The growth will be driven by an expansion in content availability, technology advances and an increasing comfort level with the activity. Yahoo Japan in Search Deal With Google Dow Jones Yahoo Japan plans to team up with Google to use the U.S. giant's search engine technology, sidestepping part-owner Yahoo's far-reaching online partnership with Microsoft. Despite its name, Yahoo Japan is controlled by Japanese Internet firm Softbank, not Yahoo. Google Seeks Government Deals for Apps Associated Press Google is gearing up to sell its e-mail and other web-hosted apps to a wider range of government agencies after winning a prized security clearance. The new sales push in "cloud computing" marks Google's latest attempt to siphon customers away from rival Microsoft. Ask.com Search Tests Social Networking Reuters Ask.com, the search engine owned by Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive Corp, is testing an invitation-only "Ask the Community" service that lets users submit questions to other users. Ask.com is the first major search engine to integrate such a social networking service. Apple iPhone Users Get OK to 'Jailbreak' Wired The U.S. government is changing copyright rules, giving owners of smartphones such as Apple's iPhone the go-ahead to "jailbreak" the devices to run any apps they want. Apple had fought the change, arguing that "iPhone users are licensees, not owners" of operating software. Facebook Launches Page to Help Media AllFacebook Facebook is introducing a page, Facebook + Media, geared to media organizations to help them "drive referral traffic, increase engagement and deepen user insights." The online offering presents separate tabs of resources aimed to help developers and journalists. Twitter Tests Sharing of Photos, Videos TechCrunch A new option discovered in Twitter's settings menu called "Twitter Media" appears to indicate that image and video sharing is making its way to the microblogging service. "We're constantly exploring features and settings," Twitter says. The option is said to have been removed. Meebo Adds EW, TV Guide to Publishers WebProNews Meebo, the instant messaging program, is adding EW.com and TVGuide.com to its list of publishers using the Meebo Bar, which is designed to let readers easily connect with friends on social networks. Meebo plans to introduce new advertising products this fall. Twitter: Users Don't Want to Pay For It WebProNews "Zero percent" of respondents to a study on the impact the web on Americans say they would be willing to pay to use Twitter. The result, says the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, underscores "the problem of transforming free users into paying users." Apple iPad Owners Seen as 'Selfish Elites' Wired The psychological profile of Apple iPad owners can be summed up as "selfish elites," according to a study by consumer research firm MyType. IPad owners tend to be "wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated," while they score terribly in areas of "altruism and kindness." Huffington Post Unable to Monetize Traffic Newsweek The Huffington Post has a big audience, but like most websites, it can't monetize it very well. HuffPost generates just over $1 per reader per year. The site may seek salvation by being acquired by a big media company. There are rumors of offers from MSNBC and Yahoo. Facebook: Zuckerberg Contract is Forgery Wired News Facebook says it "strongly suspects" forgery is involved in a contract showing founder Mark Zuckerberg signed away most of the rights to the social network in 2003. A lawsuit filed by a former work-for-hire employee attempting to take over the company is "absurd." Twitter CEO Celebrates Success in Japan Associated Press Twitter head Evan Williams is celebrating the dramatic growth of his microblogging service at an event in Tokyo with 500 fans. Japanese tweeters set a record when the whistle blew in the World Cup game in which Japan beat Denmark at 3,283 tweets per second. News Corp to Relaunch 'Younger' MySpace AFP News Corp. plans to relaunch MySpace, the social network that has been eclipsed by Facebook. The site will "go younger, go youthful," says News Corp. digital head Jon Miller, and put a premium on "creativity and self-expression; a little more rock and roll." Google Seeks Rights for Music Downloads New York Post Google is said to be having "accelerated" talks with Harry Fox Agency for digital publishing rights to songs that will enable the launch of a Google Music store, possible as early this year. Such a store could challenge Apple's dominance in music downloads. YouTube, ABC Affil Team for Citizen News WebProNews YouTube is experimenting with citizen reporting in San Francisco, teaming up with local ABC station KGO-TV to launch ABC7 uReport. YouTube and KGO are encouraging residents to submit news videos, and the ones that are deemed newsworthy will go on the air. IAC's Diller Plans Semi-Social Media Project Fortune Later this week, Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp plans to launch a Q&A feature to spruce up Ask.com that is reportedly "a little bit search and a little bit social." The move comes amid rumors that Diller has been trying to sell the search site, but couldn't get a bidder. MySpace Sees Significant Audience Drop Telegraph MySpace's U.K. audience numbers dropped by 49% within the last 12 months, according to new comScore data, falling from 6.5 million visitors in May 2009, to just 3.3 million in May 2010. The news comes on the heels of rival Facebook reaching 500 million users. Fox's 'Simpsons' to Feature Facebook Founder New York Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be a guest voice on "The Simpsons" for the upcoming season. Zuckerberg will portray himself as an "advisor" on entrepreneurship to Lisa Simpson. The episode could air near the Oct. 1 release of "The Social Network" movie. Facebook: We Didn't Sign Ownership Contract Bloomberg Facebook, facing a lawsuit from a man claiming an agreement entitles him to 84% of the social network, is "quite sure" it never signed such a deal, Mark Zuckerberg says. The CEO is responding to an earlier comment from a Facebook lawyer, who had said she was "unsure." MySpace Struggles Explained by Co-Founder TechFlash Many people think MySpace is dead, "which really isn't the case," says co-founder Chris DeWolfe. The News Corp.-owned social network has suffered from running "too many ads." As part of a public company, "there's a certain amount of revenue and profit pressure." Google: More States Joining Privacy Probe Dow Jones Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal says that 37 states have joined his investigation of Google and that he continues to seek information about whether privacy laws were broken when Google's Street View collected personal data of unsuspecting Internet users. Facebook on Course to Reach 1 Billion Users Financial Times Facebook is on course to exceed 1 billion users "comfortably," analysts say, as the social network passes the 500 million-user mark. For its next leg of growth, Facebook is turning increasingly to emerging markets and to Asia, where penetration levels are still low. Google Opposes U.S. Regulation of Journalism Business Insider Google is issuing a response to ideas floated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on how to rescue journalism. A proposed federal "hot news doctrine" would not only hurt free expression, the Internet giant says, "but also the very profession of journalism." Yahoo Dismal Results May Lead to Cost Cutting MarketWatch Yahoo's second quarter wasn't quite what many had been hoping for, and the results may lead more investors to see the Internet pioneer simply as a cost-cutting story. Some investors are disappointed that search-related advertising fell much worse than expected. Apple Reports Highest Quarterly Revenue Ever CNET Propelled by sales of the iPhone and iPad, Apple earned $3.25 billion in profit on $15.7 billion in revenue, its highest quarterly revenue ever. The company, reporting its fiscal third-quarter results, says it sold 3.27 million iPads, the first quarter they were on sale. MySpace Profile Pages to Focus on News Feed New Media Age MySpace plans to relaunch its profile pages to focus on a user's news feed. The revamped profile pages will link to users' other social networks and accounts on sites such as Flickr. The social network plans to unveil more details about the profiles in the next few weeks. Facebook Lawyer 'Unsure' of Ownership Deal Bloomberg A lawyer for Facebook says she is "unsure" whether company founder Mark Zuckerberg signed a contract that purportedly entitles a New York man to 84% of the world's biggest social-networking service. Paul Ceglia claims he is entitled to ownership of most of Facebook. News Corp Ex Chernin Backs 'Magazine' for iPad AllThingsD A new "social magazine" for the Apple iPad called Flipboard is securing $10.5 million in funding from the likes of the investment company of former News Corp. exec Peter Chernin. Flipboard pulls in data from Twitter and Facebook to make a personalized "magazine." Jobs Tops Google Chiefs in 'Media Power' WorldScreen Apple chief Steve Jobs comes in at the No. 1 position on the MediaGuardian 100 annual list of the most powerful people in media, bumping Google's Sergey Brin and Larry Page down to No. 2. Jobs is credited for changing media consumption with the new iPad device. Yahoo, Web Giants Eye Acquisition of Bit.ly GigaOm Yahoo is among the Internet giants kicking the tires of URL shortening service Bit.ly, according to "people in the know." Interest in the company is said to have increased in the past 60 days. Bit.ly is also believed to be in talks with Google and Twitter. Apple iPad to Hit More Countries on Friday CNET The iPad's market is going more global this Friday. Apple's tablet will reach residents in nine more countries: Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The iPad sold 3 million units in its first 80 days. Amazon: E-Book Sales Surpass Hardcovers CNET The Amazon Kindle e-reader has reached a "tipping point," says CEO Jeff Bezos. "Amazon customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books -- astonishing, when you consider that we've been selling hardcover books for 15 years and Kindle books for 33 months." MySpace Former CEO Eyes Social Games VentureBeat Chris DeWolfe, the co-founder and former CEO of MySpace, now runs San Francisco-based social game firm MindJolt. With a number of his former MySpace execs at his side, DeWolfe says he wants to expand the company's 20-million user audience through acquisitions. Facebook Ranks Low in Customer Satisfaction Bloomberg Facebook scores in the bottom 5% of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, developed by the University of Michigan's business school, below rivals Google and Yahoo. Concerns about privacy, design changes and aggressive advertising hurt Facebook's status. Netflix to Make International Debut in Canada Associated Press Netflix will make its international debut this fall when the fast-growing movie subscription service offers video over the Internet in Canada. The move will mark the first time that Netflix has offered a service confined to delivering video over high-speed Internet connections. Redbox Eyes Internet in Challenge to Netflix Bloomberg Redbox, the fastest-growing U.S. video retailer with $1-a-day DVD kiosks, is developing an online strategy to stay competitive with rival Netflix. The company may use a Web service to expand its library beyond the 200 or so titles in each of its 24,000 DVD dispensers. New York City Is 'Center' of Internet Industry Crain's New York Investments in New York media, entertainment and software startups have nearly tripled in size since last year, says PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. The finding "validates that New York is the center of the Internet industry." Google to 'Thrive' as Ads Leave Old Media Barron's Google's stock is undervalued by 35% or more, says the cover story of Barron's. Analysts predict Google's online search business will thrive as more advertising dollars leave traditional media for the Internet. Also, Google is "building a comprehensive mobile presence." Google Acquires Metaweb for Better Search DailyFinance Google is acquiring Metaweb, a semantic search startup, in an effort to "make the web more meaningful." Google plans to use the database of "over 12 million things, including movies, books, TV shows, celebrities, locations, companies and more" to improve its search results. Yahoo, Gannett in Partnership on Local Ads San Jose Business Gannett and Yahoo say they will work together on local advertising sales at the newspaper chain's 81 newspapers and seven of its broadcast sites. As part of the agreement, Gannett may also provide select local content for programming across Yahoo's U.S. properties. Apple Staff Working 'Butts Off' on iPhone Fix Bloomberg Seeking a solution to the antenna flaw that is dropping calls for some iPhone 4 users, Apple CEO Steve Jobs says that employees have started a round-the-clock effort to improve the reception. Jobs is offering customers free rubber cases that prevent the dropped calls. Foursquare In Talks With Internet Giants Telegraph Foursquare is in talks with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo about a search partnership which could let people look up the most popular bar or restaurant in their area in real-time. The location-based social network says that its data "generates hugely interesting trends." Facebook Will Announce 500 Million Users AllThingsD Facebook expects to announce its 500-millionth user this week, and will mark the occasion with a new consumer marketing initiative called "Facebook Stories." The initiative will highlight stories about the impact of the leading social networking site on lives of its users. Sony Advertises Facebook Movie on Twitter Forbes Unable to advertise its upcoming film "The Social Network," about the founding of Facebook, on the social network itself, Sony is plugging the movie as a promoted trending topic on Twitter. Facebook doesn't allow ads that reference the company unless it is cooperating. Hulu Chief Sees Ad-Supported Online Media Dow Jones Hulu CEO Jason Kilar says that he believes most premium media content in the world will be available online five or 10 years from now in a free, ad-supported ubiquitous model. His comments come as Hulu launches a $9.99-a-month online subscription offering. Movie-Piracy Websites Shut Down in Raids Bloomberg U.S. customs officials are beginning to close websites that offer pirated movies, fulfilling a promise to crack down on illegal downloads that Hollywood execs say cost the economy $20 billion a year. The targeted domain names include TVshack.net and planetmoviez.com. Redbox Testing Higher-Priced DVD Rentals Hollywood Reporter Dollar-rental king Redbox is testing DVD rentals at higher price points at its kiosk locations in five markets, including Albuquerque, N.M. ($1.50) and Miami/West Palm Beach ($1.15). "We plan to continue the test until we can understand the implications," a spokesman says. Google News Revamps for Personalization San Francisco Chronicle Google is rolling out a redesign for its Google News site, allowing users to personalize content and share stories more easily through social networks. Google News will now serve up headlines based on the subjects and sources users say they are most interested in. Huffington Post Pitches Itself as Social Media Advertising Age The Huffington Post is positioning itself to advertisers as a social-media company, says president Greg Coleman. The news and commentary website's "powerful social marketing tools" can help marketers "beam their messages across the galaxy." Facebook, Twitter: 'There's No Turning Back' AFP Facebook and Twitter have become powerful business tools that influence what people buy, Nielsen says. Nearly three in four Internet users worldwide spend almost six hours a month on social networks or blogs. "Social media is for real. There's no turning back." Google Getting Serious About Social Media New York Post Rumors that Google is working on a social networking site, dubbed Google Me, to take on rival Facebook are buzzing around the wired world. While Google declines to comment on the speculation, the search giant should "never be underestimated," observers say. Yahoo Names Chief for Original Programming Hollywood Reporter Yahoo is appointing Erin McPherson as VP and head of originals and video programming, aiming to ramp up original content at the portal. McPherson already led business development for Yahoo Media. Original video has long been a powerhouse for the Internet company. AOL's PR Chief Steps Down After 13 Years Bloomberg AOL's Tricia Primrose, executive VP of corporate communications, is stepping down after more than 13 years with the Internet company, predating the firm's merger with Time Warner. Primrose is moving into an advisory role in order to spend more time with her family. Hulu Announces $9.99 Subscription Service CNET Hulu, the online television and film portal, is finally rolling out its much-anticipated subscription service. For $9.99 a month, Hulu Plus provides access to a full season's worth of TV shows. But critics say that throwing up a paywall could send users back to pirate sites. YouTube to Introduce 'Skippable' Ad Format Wall Street Journal YouTube says it plans to introduce "skippable" advertising later this year. The new format will let users skip the pre-roll ads that are embedded in videos -- and won't charge advertisers for ads that are skipped. The skip rates vary dramatically based on ad quality. Apple Adds $10 HD Movies to iTunes Store Macworld Apple is opening a $10 HD movies section in its iTunes Store and stocking it with 30 films, such as "3:10 to Yuma" and "American Psycho." When Apple first added new HD movies in November, prices loosened up on a handful of films, including "Terminator 2" for $13. Google May 'Go Dark' in China After Move Bloomberg Google may lose the right to operate in China, forcing the search giant to abandon the world's largest Internet market, after the government objected to its efforts to avoid censorship controls. Google is redirecting users of the Chinese service to its Hong Kong site. Yahoo Releases Style Guide for Web Content WebProNews Yahoo is publishing its own style guide for content creators to write "effectively for the web." In fact, Yahoo goes so far as to call the guide "The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing and Creating Content for the Digital World." The book is due out July 6. Hulu Promotes Paid Service on Samsung TVs Bloomberg Hulu, the video website controlled by three U.S. broadcast networks, is beginning to promote its yet-to-be-announced paid online service on Samsung television sets. Buyers are being invited to subscribe to a high-definition Hulu Plus service for $9.99 a month. News Corp: 'Avatar' Coming to Smartphones AllThingsD News Corp. and Samsung are including a copy of the hit movie "Avatar" with each new Vibrant Galaxy smartphone from T-Mobile, preloaded on a two-gig external memory card. The Vibrant, which runs Google's Android operating system, features a four-inch screen display. Google Rumored to Develop 'Facebook Killer' PC Magazine Rumors are circulating that Google is developing a service called Google Me, described as a "Facebook killer," following a tweet on Sunday by Digg founder Kevin Rose: "Google to launch facebook competitor very soon 'Google Me,' very credible source." Eric Schmidt Sees Smartphones as the Future Guardian CEO Eric Schmidt makes it clear that Google is positioning itself for the future through mobile. He says he believes that lower-priced smartphones will help empower the poor by providing access to the world's information. "That's equivalent to the arrival of television." AOL Sought to Acquire Facebook, YouTube Crain's New York AOL's future, says CEO Tim Armstrong, "is in mixing the best of New York content with the best of Silicon Valley tech." In 2006, AOL leaders saw a different future, when they sought to buy Facebook and YouTube. But execs at then-owner Time Warner couldn't be persuaded. NYU Plans $20M Tech Fund to Spur Discoveries Bloomberg New York University is creating a venture-capital pool to encourage discoveries by faculty and students that can turn into profit-making undertakings in "Internet, life sciences and information technology." Outlays by the fund will range from $100,000 to $1 million each. Foursquare Locates New Funds for Expansion Wall Street Journal Foursquare, a startup website that lets people "check in" at bars, restaurants and other places via their smartphone, is said to be close to obtaining new funding, led by venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The deal is likely to be announced this week. Facebook: Elevation Invests Another $120M TechCrunch Elevation Partners is quietly amassing another chunk of shares in Facebook, according to a letter to its partners. Elevation is spending $120 million for 5 million more shares in the social networking giant, on top of its $90 million, 2.5 million share purchase in November. Amazon: Kindle to Add Video, Audio to App Telegraph Amazon is introducing audio and video to its e-reading Kindle apps for Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The new features are not compatible with Amazon's own device, the Kindle. The move suggests that Amazon sees multifunction devices as a part of publishing's future. IAC's Barry Diller May Seek Sale of Ask.com New York Post Barry Diller may try to sell his struggling Ask.com search site at Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley media confab in a few weeks. While Wall Streeters praise the IAC chief for his willingness to experiment with digital media, his attempt to build a conglomerate "hasn't really panned out." Traditional Media Sites Losing to Web Rivals min Traffic to traditional media websites (up 5% in 2009) is not growing as fast as their web-only counterparts (up 10%), according to a study by Wetpaint. Among the reasons cited: Endemic web companies are "faster and better" at embracing content discovery techniques. Hulu Ready to Begin Testing Subscriptions AllThingsD Hulu could begin beta testing "Hulu Plus," a paid subscription service, as early as next week. The high-profile test could help determine whether consumers will pay to watch television shows online. The video site is working to finalize agreements with content owners. Sony PlayStation Near Deal for Hulu Service Bloomberg Sony is close to an agreement to carry a paid television service from Hulu, operator of the second-largest video website, on its PlayStation 3 game console. Access to video-game consoles would give Hulu's planned pay service a bigger audience and more revenue. Twitter Settles Privacy Charge After Hack Bloomberg Twitter is agreeing to settle a U.S. government complaint that security lapses allowed hackers in early 2009 to send tweets from other people's accounts. Security failures had allowed hackers to gain control of accounts by Fox News and Barack Obama, among others. Apple's New iPhone 4 Flies Off Store Shelves USA Today Hundreds of thousands of customers lined up Thursday at Apple Stores, hoping to nab the new iPhone 4. By the end of the day, the device was all but sold out across the U.S. Analyst Gene Munster calls the launch the "biggest" he has seen for a consumer tech device. ZelnickMedia to Acquire Teen-Focused Alloy Reuters An investor group led by private-equity firm ZelnickMedia plans to acquire Alloy, the teen-focused media outfit behind "Gossip Girl" and "The Vampire Diaries," for $126.5 million. CEO Matt Diamond will continue to run Alloy, which also operates websites such as gURL.com. Yahoo, Ben Stiller to Create Internet Series Guardian Yahoo is signing up "Zoolander" star Ben Stiller to create an online current-affairs show starring his parents, comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, commenting on news issues. The webisodes, running less than 10 minutes in length, will appear exclusively on Yahoo. Google Defeats Viacom in YouTube Lawsuit MarketWatch A judge is ruling in favor of Google in the Internet giant's longtime court battle with Viacom over alleged copyright violations on YouTube. Google qualifies for "safe harbor," the judge says. Viacom plans to appeal. Also: Under Google, YouTube has entered more big-media deals. YouTube Opens 'Friendly' Online Music Store PC Magazine YouTube and music licensing store RumbleFish are announcing the launch of Friendly Music, an online store that lets users purchase copyright-protected tracks for $1.99 a piece. The site, which launches June 29, will offer some 35,000 tracks of independent music. Facebook Close to Offering Location Service Bloomberg Facebook is "pretty close" to providing a location-based service, says CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the Cannes Lions advertising festival. Such a service could allow marketers to deliver offers to users based on where they are located. "We are working on this." Twitter: Location Will Be 'More Important' CNBC Twitter allows users to click a box to have their location identified and tagged on their tweets. Co-founder Biz Stone emphasizes that location is an opt-in feature. But down the line it will be a huge part of Twitter advertising. Location will be "more and more important." Apple Says It Sold 3 Million iPads in 80 Days Bloomberg Apple says it sold 3 million iPads in the 80 days since the device went on sale, adding to evidence CEO Steve Jobs is building demand for tablet-style computers. "That's a huge number -- it's amazing," analysts say. "People underestimate how well this product is selling." AOL Seeking Conditions on Comcast-NBCU Wall Street Journal Several rivals want requirements to be imposed on Comcast's planned takeover of NBC Universal, including conditions that could alter the online-video marketplace. AOL suggests that program access rules should be imposed on the company's online programming. Microsoft Adds Entertainment Page to Bing Bloomberg Microsoft's Bing search engine is adding an entertainment page that allow users to watch television shows, play games and listen to music without leaving the site. Bing is also providing local TV times and movie listings. The features may help Microsoft gain ground on Google. Sears, Kmart to Sell TV Shows, Movies Online Reuters Sears/Kmart is teaming up with digital media outfit Sonic Solutions to sell movies and television shows online. The U.S. retail giant is expected to launch a portal later this year allowing consumers to buy Hollywood content. The move follows a similar online effort by Wal-Mart. Hulu in Talks with CBS, Viacom, Time Warner Bloomberg Hulu is said to be in talks with CBS, Viacom and Time Warner to add their television shows to its planned paid subscription service. CBS is the only one of the four major U.S. broadcast networks without an ownership stake in the video site. Hulu also may insert more ads in free shows. YouTube Grabs WWE Prime-Time Episodes WorldScreen YouTube and World Wrestling Entertainment are entering a multi-year partnership to make shows like "Friday Night SmackDown" available through the video-sharing site. The deal marks one of the first times that YouTube will make available full episodes of prime-time shows. U.S. Eyes Foreign Websites in Anti-Piracy Push Reuters The United States vows go after foreign websites that pirate American music and movies as part of a new strategy, says VP Joe Biden. "This is theft, clear and simple." More pressure will be exerted on foreign governments to shut down sites that "do illicit business." Facebook Paid 'Too Much Attention' to Twitter Telegraph Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and CEO, admits that he paid Twitter "too much attention" out of fear that that microblogging site's growth would outpace that of the social network. "Their growth rate was kind of unnatural. They got a lot of media attention." Twitter Forecast to See Strong Global Growth WebProNews Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela stand out as nations where Twitter is seeing traffic rates quickly increase, according to the stats experts at Pingdom. "These are not small countries." Similar patterns are starting to emerge across Asia. LinkedIn Eyes Acquisitions to Expand in Mobile Bloomberg LinkedIn will use acquisitions to make its networking tools more accessible on mobile phones and add features that make the site more relevant to members, says CEO Jeff Weiner. LinkedIn aims to allow white-collar workers to research companies and prospect for deals. Google Gearing Up for Push in Music, Books Dow Jones Google is expected to roll out a music download service tied to its search engine later this year, followed by a "cloud"-based subscription service in 2011, according to people familiar with the Internet giant. Also, Google plans to launch a digital bookstore this year. Google Targeted for Illegal Download Links Guardian The BPI, Britain's biggest recording industry association, is sending a cease-and-desist to Google, asking the search engine to take down links to "one-click hosting" sites, each of which hosts thousands of illegal songs. The links point to tracks from "Glee," among others. Google Set to Face Multi-State Investigation Los Angeles Times More than 30 states are considering pooling resources to investigate whether Google illegally tapped private data from wireless networks while producing its Street View feature. "Street View cannot mean Complete View," says Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal. Google, Twitter Go to Bat for Theflyonthewall Reuters In the age instant communication, the banning of Theflyonthewall.com's immediate news dissemination is "obsolete," say Google and Twitter in an appeals court filing. A judge in March barred Theflyonthewall from issuing immediate news about Wall Street research. Traditional Media 'Less Trusted' Than Twitter Reuters Americans trust tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft more than social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, according to a new Zogby Interactive survey. But all of the companies rate higher than traditional media. Only 8% of all adults say they trust the media. Media Sites 'More Trusted' Than Yahoo, AOL Radio Ink Some 72% of consumers trust the content they see on media sites, such as ESPN.com or NYTimes.com, compared to 60% who find content on portals like Yahoo Sports or AOL News. So says a survey by Harris Interactive for the Online Publishers Association. Apple iPad Rivals Make 'Desperate' Price Cuts Bloomberg Amazon is cutting the price of its Kindle e-reader to $189, accelerating a price war with Barnes & Noble, which earlier announced a discount on its own Nook device to $199. Analysts see the price cuts as "acts of desperation" to keep up with Apple's iPad. Facebook CEO Named 'Media Person of Year' Financial Times Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg will be crowned "Media Person of the Year" at the Cannes advertising festival Wednesday, as the social network aims to connect with advertisers. Also: Zuckerberg faces a blasphemy probe in Pakistan with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment or death. Google-Powered Challenger to iPad Planned WirtschaftsWoche United Internet, a German Internet service provider, plans to release a tablet computer in July to challenge Apple's iPad. The device will resemble the iPad but be significantly cheaper -- an "iPad for all." The tablet computer will use Google's Android operating system. Apple Policy on Racy Apps Remains Unclear Mediaweek Given Apple's supposed nudity ban, some are surprised to see the June iPhone/iPad version of GQ with cover model Miranda Kerr dressed down to her stockings. Yet Apple is rejecting other relationship service, gay culture and political content, fueling charges of a double standard. Google Plans Pay System for News Publishers Repubblica.it Google plans to launch a multiplatform payment system later this year called Newspass, which will allow publishers to monetize their content and users to buy with just one click. Google is contacting publishers to explore their willingness to participate in a trial. Apple iPad Allure to Boost Tablet PC Sales CNET Driven by the allure of the Apple iPad, tablet PCs will surpass Netbooks in sales in just two years, according to a report by Forrester Research. Netbooks "have a similar grab-and-go media consumption" use "but don't synchronize data across services like the iPad does." MySpace Co-President Jason Hirschhorn Out TechCrunch On the heels of AOL's sale of floundering social network Bebo comes word that MySpace, News Corp.'s social network, is losing co-president Jason Hirschhorn. Site co-president Mike Jones is to be named CEO. MySpace lost the title of top social network to Facebook long ago. Facebook Sees Explosive Growth in Revenue Reuters Facebook's financial performance is stronger than previously believed, as the social network's explosive growth in users and advertisers boosted 2009 revenue to as much as $800 million, sources say. The company also earned a net profit in the tens of millions of dollars last year. Google Threatens Low-Cost Web Content Financial Times Google is developing technology that could position it to compete with digital media companies that generate story ideas by mining online search data. Google's technology could complicate the plans of companies such as Demand Media, Associated Content and AOL. Music Publishers Sue File-Sharing LimeWire Associated Press On the heels of a major court win by the recording companies against file-sharing software company LimeWire, eight major music publishers are filing their own suit. The publishers are seeking relief and damages from LimeWire for facilitating copyright infringement. Google Eyes 'Mobile First' for New Products ClickZ Mobile is "in takeoff mode," says Google U.K. managing director Matt Brittin, in a keynote address at an Interactive Advertising Bureau event in London. Google engineers are now told "mobile first" when developing new products. "Mobile technology is going to change the world." AOL Sells 'Worthless' Social Network Bebo Wall Street Journal AOL is selling its social-networking site Bebo to Criterion Capital Partners, exiting a disastrous investment. The sale price is said to be a fraction of the $850 million AOL paid for the site two years ago. AOL will treat Bebo stock as "worthless" for income-tax purposes. Google Wi-Fi Data Eyed by 30 U.S. States Bloomberg Google's collection of data via Wi-Fi networks is the subject of a conference call among law enforcement officials from 30 U.S. states, says Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal. The discussion reflects widening concern of Google's handling of user data. Microsoft Chief in Billionaire Challenge Fortune Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett are starting a campaign to get billionaires to give away half their wealth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death. Ted Turner and Oprah Winfrey are said to have been among the guests at a dinner where the plan was hatched. Yahoo, Starbucks Plan Access to Pay Sites Wired Starting July 1, Starbucks will let anyone connect to its Wi-Fi network for free. This fall, the coffee chain will add a content network called Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo and other sites, which will provide free access to pay sites such as WSJ.com. Google Music Store Could Launch This Fall CNET Google could launch a music service that offers song downloads and streaming music as early as this fall, say multiple music industry sources. Google has already signaled that it wishes to give users of phones equipped with its Android operating system a better music offering. Apple iPad: New Bug Exposed by Group New York Post Goatse Security, which drew attention to an iPad security breach last week, says there is a separate issue with Apple's Safari browser that leaves iPad users vulnerable to further hacking attempts. "The iPad is not a safe platform for those that require a secure environment." Microsoft's Xbox Live to Air ESPN3 Shows Bloomberg Disney will make its ESPN3 online sports channel available on Microsoft's Xbox video game console, extending the programming to users' televisions. "Our fan base wants to be on all these screens, not just one," says Disney-ESPN exec Matthew Murphy. YouTube to Test Feed of Breaking News WebProNews YouTube is testing a feature called the YouTube News Feed, which it is working on with the University of California at Berkley's Graduate School of Journalism. The feature will track news as it breaks on YouTube, with a focus on "strong visuals, non-traditional sources." MTV's Father Preps Launch of PureWow New York Post Former AOL Time Warner honcho Bob Pittman is slated to launch his new digital venture, PureWow.com, at the end of summer. His partners on the site, which will target Gen X and Baby Boomer females, include Whoopi Goldberg, Lesley Stahl, Candice Bergen and Lily Tomlin. Twitter: New Feature Integrates Foursquare Brand Republic Twitter is launching a function called Twitter Places, which comes with Foursquare and Gowalla integration. Twitter Places lets users tag their tweets with their location, allowing others to see all the posts from that place. The launch coincides with the start of the World Cup. MySpace Opens Content Site for World Cup WebProNews MySpace is offering an interactive feature-rich World Cup community "to act as an aggregate of the flurry of World Cup activity." The MySpace World Cup Profile includes live matches and news from Univision and Fox Sports, as well as fan forums and soccer-related games. News Websites See Record World Cup Traffic Bloomberg News websites saw a record 12.1 million visitors a minute on Friday as the World Cup began, according to Akamai Technologies. The previous record, 8.6 million, was on Nov. 4, 2008, when Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the U.S. presidential election. Nielsen, McKinsey Team Up on Social Media New Media Age Research firm Nielsen is partnering its social monitoring service BuzzMetrics with management consultancy McKinsey to form NM Incite, a social media consultancy. The new company aims to help businesses "harness the full potential of social media intelligence." Twitter Mulls 'Promoted Trends' for Revenue AllThingsD Twitter is developing a product for advertisers called "Promoted Trends," an extension of its new "Promoted Tweets" program announced in April. Advertisers will be able to insert their own terms into the list of trends the microblogging service displays on user pages. Yahoo Ads Extended to Media General TV San Jose Business Media General says it will extend its advertising sales partnership with Yahoo to all of its television stations by the end of the year. The company will become the first member of the Yahoo Newspaper Consortium to sell Yahoo display advertising at TV stations. Hulu Loses Tech Exec to Kleiner Perkins San Jose Business Hulu founding tech chief Eric Feng is leaving to work with Al Gore at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as a partner focusing on green technology. He will be replaced by Rich Tom on the tech platform side of the video website and Eugene Wei on the "audience business" side. Vevo Video Site Passes Hulu in Audience MediaPost Seven months after its launch, Vevo is surpassing the audience of video hub Hulu and attracting dozens of top brands. Vevo, with 43.6 million U.S. viewers in April, is a joint venture of Universal Music, Sony Music and Abu Dhabi Media. Hulu in April won 38.7 million viewers. AOL's Cambio Aims to Become New MTV New York Times Cambio, a new website from AOL, brand strategy firm MGX Lab and the Jonas Group, is billed as a next-gen video network for the Internet, "a kind of MTV without the middleman." Former MTV host Quddus Philippe will lead a daily entertainment talk show on Cambio. IAC's Electus Studio Backs Web 'Dirty Shorts' ClickZ DumbDumb, a new advertiser-centric production studio, is releasing online "dirty shorts" for Orbit Gum. Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, the stars of the web sketches, are also the driving force behind studio, which they are launching with Electus, the Ben Silverman-run IAC outfit. Twitter Helps Fans Follow the World Cup Wall Street Journal Twitter is posting a special page dedicated to the World Cup, with popular tweets about the event, live tweets of each game and tweets about all of the participating countries. The micro-blogging service also is adding images of soccer balls to #worldcup hash tags. Google Poised to Siphon TV's Ad Dollars Barron's Google TV could change the way people watch television, says Forrester analyst James McQuivey. Google TV will provide access to "linear programming, web video and even the general web." Then, "once it has your attention, it can begin siphoning away ad dollars." Hulu is Cash Flow Positive, NBC Chief Says Financial Times The video site Hulu is cash flow positive and "a successful business operation," says NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker. He adds that, despite speculation, he has no plans to leave after NBC's sale to Comcast. "They want me to lead the company. I'm looking forward to that." Twitter Acquires Internet Analytics Company AFP Twitter is acquiring Smallthought Systems, a small web analytics firm, for an undisclosed amount. The micro-blogging company says it is particularly interested in a tool from Smallthought called Trendly, which allows users to sort through analytics data from Google. AT&T iPad Security Breach Probed by FBI Associated Press The FBI is investigating a data breach at AT&T that exposed the email addresses of more than 114,000 owners of the Apple iPad, including government officials. The agency says it is looking into "the potential cyber threat" from the breach. AT&T isn't commenting. Internet Week Highlights: Martha, Arianna Daily Beast The Mashable Media Summit and I Want Media's "Future of Media: 2010" panel discussion are described as among the highlights of this year's event-packed Internet Week New York. Another highlight: Martha Stewart's onstage Twitter outage with Arianna Huffington. AOL Aims to Hire 'Hundreds' of Journalists Advertising Age AOL plans to hire hundreds of journalists, editors and videographers in the coming year as it builds out its content-first business model. Its new strategy includes grouping AOL's websites into 17 "super-networks." AOL will also look to new launches and acquisitions. Yahoo Taps Lisanti for Entertainment Blogs Business Insider Yahoo, forging ahead with a push into original content, is tapping Movieline.com columnist and former Defamer editor Mark Lisanti to helm its new entertainment blogs. Yahoo has been staffing up editorially since 2007 when it brought on Jamie Mottram to develop a sports vertical. Glam Media Ad Platform Zaps DoubleClick TechCrunch Glam Media, the publisher of women's websites and advertising network, is unveiling a new ad-serving technology platform that aims to help brands find and target the most engaged consumers. "It also can be used as a complete replacement for DoubleClick." Huffington Takes Shine to Yahoo, Eyes NY Beet TV The Huffington Post is entering a "deep partnership" with Yahoo to produce original content, including video, for Shine, the women's interest site, says co-founder Arianna Huffington. The Los Angeles-based Huffington adds that she plans to spend more time in New York. Google Targeted in Media Institute Report Multichannel News The U.S. government should investigate Google, recommends the Media Institute, a nonprofit research foundation. "As we consider the crisis facing media, should we be concerned that one entity controls access to content for virtually three out of four Americans?" Facebook Now More Popular Than Google Financial Times Social networking sites, led by Facebook, are now more popular among U.K. web users than Google and its rival search engines, says a study by Hitwise. The results follow a Hitwise report in March that Facebook overtook Google as the most popular site in the U.S. Twitter Hints at Content Recommendation TechCrunch Twitter is expanding the testing of its own URL shortener, which uses the domain t.co. The move opens the possibility of content recommendation, as Twitter says it wants to "build services that can make recommendations to users based on the content they are consuming." Microsoft Zune Replaces Sirius XM Radio Radio Ink United Airlines is starting to offer playlists from Microsoft Zune for its free in-flight entertainment, replacing the Sirius XM programming it has offered since 2006. The Zune lineup includes rock, pop and jazz. Microsoft says: "We are excited about this collaboration." Hulu Plans to Charge, Expand to Devices Reuters Hulu, the free video website, plans to soon begin charging customers and is said to be looking to expand its content to devices like the Xbox and iPad, as its big media owners experiment with new platforms. A subscription service may roll out in the next month. Apple Unveils Challenges to Old Media Dow Jones Apple's iAd mobile advertising network will go live on July 1, says CEO Steve Jobs, introducing yet another disruptive force in the media industry. The iAd platform will be built into Apple's upcoming new mobile phone, the iPhone 4, which Jobs unveiled on Monday. Yahoo Signs David Beckham as Blogger Marketing Week David Beckham is to become the first ever global ambassador for Yahoo. In a new partnership lasting from now until the start of the 2010/11 English soccer league season, Beckham will conduct interviews, write blogs and engage with fans through the Yahoo website. AOL Looking for Video Content Deals Hollywood Reporter AOL is looking to bring the worlds of professionally produced and commissioned content together and deliver more web video, says David Eun, president of AOL Media. Content is "crucial" to the company's turnaround. Video, in particular, is a key focus. Facebook Book Shows Website's Impact Associated Press "The Facebook Effect," a new book by David Kirkpatrick, a longtime reporter for Fortune magazine, presents a "fascinating, somewhat complicated" story about the social network's origins and impact. Founder Mark Zuckerberg comes across as "incredibly smart." Twitter to Hire Liaison with White House TechCrunch Twitter is looking for a government liaison to serve as a point person for the microblogging service in Washington D.C. The company is looking for someone to help it "understand what we can do to better serve candidates and policymakers across party and geographical lines." Internet Week Kicks Off in New York City Hollywood Reporter The third annual Internet Week kicks off Monday to put the spotlight on the Big Apple's online community with appearances by web, media and entertainment dignitaries. Event highlights include "Future of Media: 2010," a panel discussion about the transformation of media. Yahoo to Roll Out Facebook Integrations Wall Street Journal Yahoo will soon allow its users to view their Facebook "news feed" from Yahoo.com and Yahoo Mail. The new Yahoo Pulse service plans to eventually integrate other social networks as well, as Yahoo aims to prevent its users from defecting to social media sites. Google Probed by Australia Over Privacy Sydney Morning Herald Australia is launching a police probe of Google over charges that the Internet giant illegally collected private data from wireless connections while photographing streets for map service. Google's actions are called the "single greatest breach in the history of privacy." AOL Exec Eun Tops 'Digital Power' List Hollywood Reporter AOL Media president David Eun ranks in first place on the Hollywood Reporter's "Digital Power 50" list. Eun, a former exec with Google and NBC, is helping remake AOL into "a Time Inc. for the 21st century." AOL is "a media company that leverages technology," Eun says. Yahoo, Huffington Post Talk Partnership TechCrunch Yahoo and the Huffington Post are said to be in negotiations over a deep content partnership or even an outright acquisition. However, HuffPost -- "the biggest blog on the planet" -- may be too expensive for a sale. Yahoo would have to pay "at least $360 million." AOL Eyed as Microsoft Acquisition Target Reuters Shares of AOL rose on Friday as talk circulated that it may be an acquisition target for Microsoft. AOL is in the process of discussing a new search deal with "potential partners." The result of those talks, some speculate, could be an outright sale of AOL to Microsoft. Apple Bans Gawker Blog from Conference PC World Gizmodo says that Apple is refusing to answer its request to attend the tech company's developers conference keynote on Monday. The snub follows Gizmodo's acquisition of an Apple prototype iPhone -- the very device expected to be unveiled at the event. Google CEO Talks Arrogance, Insensitivity Financial Times CEO Eric Schmidt is addressing why he believes Google has attracted charges of arrogance and insensitivity, notably in the recent case involving the interception of data collected from unsecured WiFi connections. "All successful organizations have some arrogance in them." Facebook Gaining on YouTube in Web Video Bloomberg Facebook is growing faster than YouTube as a place to watch videos. Clips generated by Facebook users were watched by 41 million people in April, more than three times as many as a year earlier. YouTube grew 25% to 135 million unique viewers over the same period. AOL: Bebo Site Draws Acquisition Interest Bloomberg AOL chief Tim Armstrong says parties have been interested in buying the Bebo social-networking website, which the company has considered selling or shutting down. "We've had interest from people who are interested in acquiring it, but don't know where that's going to go." News No Longer Most Popular in Web Video AFP More than half of U.S. adults have watched video online and comedy clips have replaced news as the most popular video on the Internet, says a survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Also, more adults are putting their own content online. Digg Loses a Third of Its Visitors in a Month Guardian After ticking along at about 37 million unique visitors for the past year or so, Digg's user numbers are seeing a sudden 35% drop. Is it a blip or a trend? Perhaps in response to the scary numbers, CEO Kevin Rose plans to make changes to the social news website. AOL Time Warner Ex-Boss Eyes Fanboy Site Deadline Bob Pittman, the former COO of AOL Time Warner, and partner Andrew Russell are joining the investor roster of GeekChicDaily, a fanboy-geared website founded last autumn. Pittman was an early investor in Daily Candy, which sold last year to Comcast for $125 million. Apple Chief Jobs Declares Post-PC Era InformationWeek Tablets like the iPad will surpass personal computers -- a market long dominated by Apple rival Microsoft -- as the dominant form factor for everyday computing, predicts Steve Jobs. The transformation, according to Apple's CEO, "is going to make some people uneasy." Microsoft Ad Sales VP Domeniconi to Exit AllThingsD Robin Domeniconi, Microsoft’s VP for U.S. advertising sales, publishing and marketing, is said to be leaving the company. While Domeniconi is leaving, Microsoft reportedly is close to hiring MTV Networks' Carolyn Everson to head up its online ad sales force globally. CNet Founder Ordered to Give Up Goods New York Post A Manhattan federal judge is telling CNet.com founder Halsey Minor to forfeit his cars, jewelry and even floor rugs to pay off a $6.6 million debt to Sotheby's auction house. The order covers goods amassed after Minor blew through $100 million from his sale of CNet. Google Lets Users Customize Search Page InformationWeek Broadening its commitment to personalization -- and one-upping Microsoft's Bing -- Google is allowing users to replace its famously white search page background with an image of their choosing. Bing features a different background image every day, chosen by Microsoft. Vevo: No. 1 Spot for Online Music Videos Los Angeles Times In April, less than six months after its launch, Vevo has vaulted into the No. 1 spot for U.S. online music videos, garnering more than 43 million unique viewers who watched 350 million streams. "We have 74 advertisers and sponsors on board," says CEO Rio Caraeff. Hulu Rumored as Addition to Xbox Live Gear Live Hulu, the video site, is rumored to be added to Microsoft's Xbox Live gaming service. Similar to how Netflix is integrated into the Xbox 360 dashboard, Hulu is expected to join as well, and may require a subscription fee. An announcement is expected at the E3 expo. Cisco Says Video Will Dominate Internet San Jose Business Global Internet traffic will increase more than fourfold by 2014, predicts Cisco Systems. The growth in traffic will be dominated by video, exceeding 91% of global consumer traffic. The increasing popularity of HDTV and 3DTV are among the key growth factors. Facebook CEO Says No Date Yet for IPO Reuters Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he has no date in mind to take the social network public, and defends changes to the service that have provoked privacy concerns. "A few years from now, we'll look back and wonder why all these websites weren't personalized." Facebook Sees Big Jump in Advertisers Bloomberg Facebook says its advertisers have more than quadrupled since the start of 2009 and has doubled the number of salespeople last year from 200. The world's largest social network is relying on ads for growth and to lay the groundwork for a possible initial public offering. Hulu Sees Growth Curve Flattening Out AllThingsD Hulu's growth curve appears to be flattening, according to comScore's newest video data. Nonetheless, the company -- a joint venture between News Corp.'s Fox, Disney's ABC and GE's NBC -- says it is now turning a profit, which few online video competitors can say. YouTube Gets Support in Viacom Battle NewTeeVee A group of YouTube creators, from vloggers to journalists to filmmakers, is filing an amicus brief in the ongoing legal battle between Google and Viacom, arguing that to make the video site responsible for the content posted on it could destroy what has been built there. Yahoo Plans to Enter Social Networking KGO Starting in the next few weeks, Yahoo e-mail users will be able to post comments and pictures online, in a style similar to Facebook and MySpace. To protect users' privacy, Yahoo will give users a week's notice before it starts, and provide a single button for opting out. AOL Columnist Develops Pilot for HDNet New York Post AOL Popeater columnist Rob Shuter is developing a pilot with Mark Cuban's cable network HDNet named after his column, "Naughty But Nice." The show will be a half-hour, live-audience format where Shuter will chat about the day's tabloid news and host celebrity guests. Apple CEO Says iPad May Help Old Media TheWrap Apple CEO Steve Jobs addressed the future of journalism at the AllThingsD conference, saying he hopes the new iPad might provide a platform to help newspapers get paid for their content. "I believe people are willing to pay for content. I believe in media." Google Buys Ad Tech Startup Invite Media AllThingsD Google is acquiring advertising technology startup Invite Media, a "demand side platform" designed to help buyers navigate high-volume display-ad exchanges. The sale price is believed to be in the $70 million range. Google is expected to leave Invite as a stand-alone unit. Facebook CEO Donates to NYU Social Net Wired / AFP Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he has donated to the Diaspora project, an open-source social network being developed by four college students at New York University. "I think it is a cool idea. I see a little of myself in them." Also: Some 30,000 quit Facebook in protest. Twitter Hits Milestone of 15 Billion Tweets Australian Twitter marked its 15 billionth tweet on Saturday, less than three months after it marked its 10th billionth tweet. The micro-blogging service, launched in March 2006, says it is now adding some 105 million registered users and 300,000 new accounts on average each day. Foursquare Seen as This Year's Twitter Business Review Foursquare, a free GPS-based app that helps people locate their friends and detects venues near the user, could be this year's Twitter. Founder Dennis Crowley says at some point the company could begin charging for certain features. "We're not in a rush" to monetize. Digg Wants to Become 'Twitter of News' GigaOm Digg founder Kevin Rose is close to his first major launch since taking over as CEO of the social news site. The new Digg will allow for both friending and following other users and publishers. Users following a particular publisher will see everything it publishes. EBay, Craigslist: IRS Wants a Cut of Sales WaPo Frequent or big-time sellers on sites such as eBay and Craigslist are drawing increased attention from tax collectors. A new law will require "the gross amount of payment card and third-party network transactions" to be reported annually to the Internal Revenue Service. YouTube's Leanback Will Be More Like TV New York Times This fall, YouTube plans to introduce YouTube Leanback, a service that will start playing a video the moment a user clicks on the site. "It behaves like you would expect television to." YouTube Leanback will be introduced in coordination with the release of Google TV devices. Google's Reign May End Thanks to iPad Marketing Week Google's online dominance could be drawing to an end as the Apple iPad goes on sale worldwide, according to U.K. tech analyst Richard Holway. Apps for the iPad and iPhone "subvert" using Google's sponsored search by going directly to brands and media owners. Apple Sells 2M iPads as Rival Tablets Loom Financial Times Apple says it has sold 2 million iPads since launching the tablet in the United States nearly two months ago. The device launched in international markets this past weekend. Also: The iPad's global roll out is set to be followed by the launch of rival, less-expensive tablet PCs. Amazon.com to Introduce Thinner Kindle Bloomberg Amazon plans to introduce the next version of its Kindle electronic-book reader in August, sources say. The device will be thinner and have a more responsive screen with a sharper picture. The new Kindle won't include a touch screen or color, unlike Apple's iPad. Google, Apple to Fight Over TV's Future LA Times Apple is said to be revamping its Apple TV service, adding features that will enable viewers to stream content from the Internet, similar to the just-announced Google TV. Apple may add iPhone-like features to a new version of its content-streaming set-top box. Apple Probe Expands to Media Dealings New York Post The Justice Department's probe into Apple is said to be expanding to include how the iPad maker does business with media companies in areas beyond music. The U.S. agency has contacted a handful of the country's biggest media and tech companies to get their views on Apple. Yahoo, Netflix Eyed for Media Takeovers CNNMoney Microsoft, Google and Disney are among the media and tech companies looking for acquisitions, analysts say. As forecasts point to an increase in paid articles and video online, media companies want to get a jump on the trend. Netflix and Yahoo are "ripe for the picking." Google Hires Managers for $26.5B in Cash BusinessWeek Google is launching a trading floor to manage its $26.5 billion in cash and investments. The plan is to keep the war chest growing and ready to be deployed should acquisition opportunities arise. Google's investment team has grown to more than 30 people. Microsoft Tweet Dismisses Ballmer Rumors San Jose Business Microsoft is shooting down talk that CEO Steve Ballmer might appear at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference with a tweet: "Steve Ballmer not speaking at Apple Dev Conf., Nor appearing on Dancing with the Stars. Nor riding in the Belmont. Just FYI." Apple iPad Fans Find Tablet Tough to Tote Wall St Journal Many users of the Apple iPad are stumped on how to easily transport the gadget. The iPad's unusual size -- bigger than an iPhone but smaller than most laptops -- is ramping up opportunities for enterprising bag-makers. Another iPad frustration: greasy fingerprints. Google Ranks Top 1,000 Websites for Ads Search Engine Land Google is releasing a list of the top 1,000 websites by unique users as measured by its Ad Planner service. Facebook comes in at No. 1; CNN.com is ranked No. 64. The search giant will let advertisers specify if they only want their content ads to show on these top sites. Yahoo, eBay: End Viacom's YouTube Lawsuit Bloomberg Yahoo, eBay, Facebook and IAC/InterActiveCorp are urging a judge to dismiss Viacom's copyright-infringement lawsuit against Google's YouTube video-sharing site. The four Internet companies say Viacom's suit could "retard the development of the Internet and e-commerce." Apple Overtakes Microsoft in Market Cap Bloomberg Apple, the computer maker turned mobile gadgeteer, is overtaking Microsoft to become the most valuable tech company on optimism it will keep adding customers for its iPhone, iPad and other products. Apple is also the second-largest U.S. stock by market value. Google Hit with Age Discrimination Lawsuit LA Times Brian Reid, a Google operations manager who was hired at age 52 and fired two years later, claims he was dismissed because he was not "a cultural fit." Google maintains that Reid was fired because his position was eliminated and wants the case thrown out. Yahoo Affirms Focus on Search, Content MarketWatch Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz and other execs are affirming the Internet giant's focus on search and content, painting an upbeat picture of the company's future. Among other moves, Yahoo is hiring veteran journalists for its news sites. "Yahoo has its focus," says Bartz. Sony to Challenge Apple with New E-Reader AFP Sony says it will launch an e-reader in Japan and set up a platform for newspapers, books, comics and magazines, challenging rival Apple a day before its iPad goes on sale in the country. The Japanese e-book market is now estimated to be worth about $500 million. Amazon, Penguin in Deal on E-Book Prices AFP Amazon says it has reached an agreement with publisher Penguin on pricing of electronic books for the Kindle e-reader. Terms of the deal are yet to be disclosed. Penguin had stopped supplying Amazon with new titles last month in a dispute over e-book pricing. Facebook Aims to Simplify Privacy Settings ClickZ Facebook is simplifying some of its user privacy controls down to "a couple of clicks," says CEO Mark Zuckerberg, facing the music after a month of controversy. He admits that the recent settings were too complicated. "This is something we take really seriously." Study: Millennials Savvy on Web Privacy BusinessWeek Web users in their older teens and 20s are more apt to guard their reputations online, according to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. "Contrary to common assumptions, young people are in many ways the most active managers of online identities." YouTube: 1,200 Pages Blocked in Pakistan AFP Pakistan is restoring access to YouTube, but 1,200 web pages remain blocked as a squabble about "blasphemous" content rumbles into a second week. A contest organized by a Facebook user calling on people to draw the Muslim prophet had sparked a backlash. Google Claims Big Impact on U.S. Economy SF Chronicle Google is highlighting its positive impact on the economy through a report and series of news conferences, at a point when the Internet giant is facing mounting criticism. Google says it generated some $54 billion in economic activity throughout the United States last year. Microsoft Shuffles Execs in Entertainment Seattle Times Robbie Bach and J. Allard, two Microsoft veteran execs in entertainment and devices, are leaving the company in a major reorganization. Hammered by rivals, CEO Steve Ballmer is "stepping in." Allard had been developing a booklike tablet device, a project Microsoft canceled. Apple Faces Inquiry About Online Music NY Times The U.S. Justice Department is said to be examining Apple's tactics in the market for digital music. Apple is facing charges it used its dominant market position to persuade music labels to refuse to give Amazon.com exclusive access to music about to be released. AOL: We Now Employ 4,000 Journalists TechCrunch AOL, which is aggressively building out its content strategy, now employs 4,000 journalists, 3,500 of which are part-time or freelance. CEO Tim Armstrong says that AOL is "taking local to a local level." The hyperlocal news site Patch is now in 53 markets in five states. Dell Prepares 'Streak' Rival to Apple iPad Reuters Dell says its Streak tablet computer can double as a mobile phone and will have a front-facing camera for videoconferencing -- features it hopes will help the new gadget compete against Apple's iPad. The five-inch tablet will debut in the United States this summer. Amazon: Color Kindle Won't Come Soon AP A color version of Amazon's Kindle e-reader may come eventually, but it won't be anytime soon, according to CEO Jeff Bezos. Adding color to the Kindle's "electronic ink" display is a difficult technical challenge. Tablet computers such as Apple's iPad display color. Facebook Outstrips Arab Newspapers BBC News There are now more Facebook users in the Arab world than newspaper readers, a survey suggests. Research by Dubai-based Spot On Public Relations says there are more than 15 million subscribers to the social network while newspaper copies number under 14 million. NYC Officials Woo Emerging Media Firms ClickZ New York City government is on a charm offensive at events hosted by Google and TechCrunch, aiming to lure new media outfits to the Big Apple. A new fund will invest up to $22 million to tech startups. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the city will launch a media lab this year. News Corp Shutters Web Venture Incubator Gawker News Corp. is said to be shutting down its Internet venture incubator Slingshot Labs. The unit reportedly has been in decline since former MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe was ousted over a year ago. Its "LinkedIn killer" in development for the Wall Street Journal "will die." MySpace Mulls Changing Logo to Win Users TechCrunch MySpace plans to "take a look" at changing the logo, among other possible changes to the floundering social network, according to co-presidents Jason Hirschhorn and Mike Jones. Hirschhorn adds: "Am I going to be at MySpace in 5 to 10 years? Probably not." Facebook: We 'Missed the Mark' on Privacy WaPo Facebook "missed the mark" with the introduction of new privacy settings, CEO Mark Zuckerberg writes in the Washington Post. "Sometimes we move too fast -- and we're responding." The world's most popular social network plans to unveil privacy changes shortly. Twitter to Block 'Paid Tweets' from Others CNET Twitter is getting down to business, issuing a ban on third-party paid tweets in a move that could force some advertising startups that have built up around the microblogging service to shut down. Twitter announced its own "promoted tweets" program in April. Yahoo, Nokia Team Up for Global Services San Jose Business Yahoo and Nokia are entering a worldwide strategic alliance that will leverage their combined e-mail, instant messaging, and maps and navigation services. The alliance aims to bring "personalized experiences to more people across the mobile web." Google Reveals Publisher Ad Revenue Split Search Engine Land Google is announcing the exact revenue it will share with publishers for placing AdSense advertisements on their web sites. Publishers will receive 68% of revenue for content ads and 51% of revenue for search ads. Google likely is disclosing this data due to antitrust pressure. Google Offered Viacom $600M for Content CNET In 2006, Google offered nearly $600 million in guaranteed revenue if Viacom licensed its TV shows and films to YouTube. But Viacom wanted $700 million. News of Google's offer is revealed in newly released documents in the Viacom-YouTube copyright lawsuit. Apple's Mobile Ads Threatened by Google Bloomberg Apple may have a tougher time getting advertisers to pay a premium for smartphone ads now that Google has won U.S. regulators' clearance to buy AdMob, creating the largest mobile-advertising company. "Apple has a very attractive audience. But they don’t have scale." Diller's Match.com Replaces Yahoo Service AP Match.com, the dating site owned by IAC/InterActiveCorp, will become Yahoo's online dating site, replacing the company's own Yahoo Personals brand. Yahoo has been trying to focus on creating and licensing content, while forging partnerships with other companies. Google, Yahoo, AOL Execs to Talk Media I Want Media Yahoo Media VP James Pitaro is joining the lineup for "The Future of Media: 2010," a free panel discussion from I Want Media, to be held during Internet Week New York. Yahoo recently agreed to buy Associated Content and has been staffing up with journalists. Yahoo: 'World's Largest' Media Company Ad Age Yahoo is the largest online content player in terms of traffic and audience, and plans on doubling the share of original material it publishes with its new acquisition of Associated Content. Yahoo, according to exec VP Hillary Schneider, is "the world's largest media company." AOL at 25: From Dial-Up to Content Sites WaPo AOL, which turns 25 on Monday, has an audacious goal to become the biggest newspaper (and magazine and TV network and movie theater) on the Web. But rather than simply create news sites, AOL is using Internet data to create content on subjects people are searching for. Google Wins FTC OK to Acquire AdMob NY Times Google's planned purchase of mobile advertising firm AdMob is getting an OK from the Federal Trade Commission. Apple's move to launch its own mobile ad network contributed to the decision. Also: U.S. regulators are said to be increasing their scrutiny of Google. Facebook Investor May Eye Twitter Next Telegraph Digital Sky Technologies, the Russian investment group that bought a stake in Facebook last year, plans to buy stakes in more "disruptive" Internet companies. CEO Yuri Milner declines to name any targets, but pointedly refuses to rule out buying a stake in Twitter. Twitter Relies More on Blogs Than Media CyberJournalist The stories that gain traction in Twitter differ substantially from those that lead in the mainstream news media, according to an analysis by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Also, Twitter users are more likely to share links to blogs than to traditional news outlets. Apple iPad Sees Media Winners, Losers Mediaweek Among the few publishers that are giving out numbers, USA Today appears to be a big winner on the Apple iPad, with 371,213 downloads as of last weekend. The New York Times is a close second, with 300,000. GQ has sold 57,000 downloads of its iPad version. Media Tablet Sales Are Forecast to Surge InformationWeek The emerging media tablet market, which got a big boost with the launch of Apple's iPad, will grow substantially over the next four years, driven by the apps that are expected to be released for the devices, says research firm IDC. Media tablets will "become necessities." Google TV: Unsure of a Threat, CEO Says SJ Biz / Fox Biz Google is working with Sony and Intel on a new, free product called Google TV, which vows to make finding TV programs and Internet video easier by allowing users to type search queries on their TV screens. "I'm not sure who this will threaten," says CEO Eric Schmidt. Yahoo to Announce Partnership with Nokia AlThingsD Yahoo on Monday is expected to announce a deal with Nokia to build its email, search and other services into a range of the mobile phone giant's devices. While the pair had once discussed Nokia making a Yahoo-centric phone, that is unlikely to be part of this deal. Facebook, MySpace Face Privacy Loophole Wall St Journal Facebook, MySpace and other social-networking sites are sending data to advertising agencies that could be used to find consumers' names and other personal details, despite promises not to do so without consent. DoubleClick and Right Media are among the data recipients. Facebook Lands on Time Magazine Cover Time People no longer want "complete privacy," says Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Time magazine cover story. "They want control over what they share." The Time cover features the profile pictures of 1,295 people picked from a Facebook group "I Want to Be in Time." Web Vet Calacanis Invests in Online Video LA Times Jason Calacanis, who sold his Weblogs Inc to AOL for $25 million, is joining other Internet execs in investments totaling $300,000 in ThisWeekIn, an upstart episodic video network. ThisWeekIn offers podcasts covering a variety of topics from tech to entertainment. Google Seeks Hollywood 'Agent' for Deals NY Post Google is reaching out to investment bankers with media and entertainment contacts in an attempt to soothe frayed nerves among Hollywood execs about the prospect of doing business with the Internet giant and speed up its efforts to obtain content for YouTube. YouTube Blocked by Pakistan Over Videos Reuters Pakistan is blocking YouTube indefinitely in a bid to contain "blasphemous" material. The blockade comes hours after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority directed ISPs to stop access to Facebook over a contest to draw the Prophet Mohammad. Facebook Blocked Over 'South Park' Page AP Pakistan is blocking Facebook amid Muslim anger over an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" contest that encourages users to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. The page was set up to protest a radical Muslim group's threats against "South Park." HP Developing a 'Dick Tracy' Wristwatch CNN Hewlett-Packard is developing a next-generation wristwatch for the U.S. military that will have a flexible screen showing maps and other information. "We call it a Dick Tracy watch." The watch's screen is made out of plastic that is expected to be used in other gadgets. AOL Develops Social Website for Shoppers TechCrunch AOL is rolling out the beta version of AOL Shopping, a shopping advice portal allowing users to submit product-related questions to a public forum, and then other participants can comment and add recommendations. Users may also interact with other shoppers. Google Looks to Make Peace With Murdoch Financial Times Google is having talks with Rupert Murdoch and other newspaper owners about helping run their online subscription services, says CEO Eric Schmidt. The talks may suggest a thawing of hostilities. "Google will not get into the content business, but we can build tools for it." Yahoo Buys Associated Content for $100M Ad Age Yahoo is acquiring startup Associated Content in a deal that gives the portal a new strategy for producing low-cost media. Associated, backed by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, generates freelancer-produced content that can earn as little as $5 a story, and is optimized for search. Twitter Expects Hundreds of Advertisers Reuters Twitter plans to have hundreds of advertisers using its new ad system in the fourth quarter as it ramps up plans to become a profitable business. "We're thinking about big, big numbers," says COO Dick Costolo. Tweets have been "successful beyond our wildest dreams." Facebook Launches 'Speedy' Mobile Site San Jose Business Facebook is rolling out a new mobile site, 0.facebook.com, which the social network says is "optimized for speed." The site will be available through 50 mobile operators in 45 countries. "We hope even more people will discover the mobile Internet with Facebook." Bebo Founder to Invest in Social Media Media Week Michael Birch, the multi-millionaire founder of Bebo, is injecting a significant sum in social media agency startup Punktilio and is joining it as an adviser. This month Bebo will discover whether owner AOL will shut down or sell the site, following a "strategic evaluation." Apple iPad Rival Tablet Rumors Multiply Wired Google, Sony and Research in Motion and among the companies taking notice of the iPad, thanks to Apple's claim that it sold a million of its tablets in less than a month. Since then, rumors of half-a-dozen new tablets have leaked out. So far, most are yet to be announced. Amazon Branches Out with Publishing Arm Wall St Journal Amazon plans to launch a publishing imprint that will produce English-language translations of foreign-language books. The imprint, AmazonCrossing, will acquire rights to books and hire writers to translate them into English before printing and selling them online. Best Buy Debuts Video Download Service Minneapolis Business Best Buy plans to roll out its new CinemaNow digital entertainment platform this month. It will provide instant access to new release movies and television shows. Initially it can only be accessed through certain Blu-ray disc players, high-definition TVs and most PCs. Sony Mulls PlayStation 3 Subscriptions Yahoo News Sony is rumored to be planning to start charging for premium PlayStation Network subscriptions, complete with monthly games and streaming music. The company may unveil a "large-scale monetizing scheme" for the PlayStation 3 at next month's E3 gaming conference. Google Plans TV Service Called SmartTV LA Times Google, through an effort with Sony, Intel and Logitech, is due to unveil technology enabling users to flip among television shows, YouTube videos and home videos on their sets. Called Smart TV, the software will likely be built into TVs. Google "might power the TV of the future." YouTube: We're Like a 'Cable TV Network' Financial Times YouTube is becoming more aggressive in pitching itself to advertisers as an alternative to television, arguing that it can replace TV deals for content owners seeking overseas audiences. YouTube says it will "start to look like the cable TV networks of the 70s, 80s and 90s." Apple iPad Appears to Impact iPod Sales Fortune The new Apple iPad appears to be having a minimal cannibalization impact on sales of the company's Mac computer, according to an analysis by Gene Munster of investment bank Piper Jaffray. However, the new gadget "could be slightly cannibalizing" sales of the iPod. Web Image Rights Unknown Among Users Puget Sound Business Many people who work in the creative industries don't fully understand the rules on the use of images found on the Internet, according to a survey from Getty Images. Some 39% admit to exposing themselves to potential risk by using images copied directly from search engines. Google Buys Audio-Video Tech Provider Reuters Google is acquiring Norwegian Global IP Solutions for $68 million in a move to build its real-time audio and video Internet capabilities. "Real-time video and audio communication over the Internet are becoming important new tools," says Google exec Rian Liebenberg. Twitter Will Never Be for Sale, CEO Says Telegraph Twitter is not for sale and never will be, says CEO Evan Williams. "I don't anticipate it being for sale -- ever. We are just getting started." He adds that he views mobile as Twitter's greatest opportunity for growth. "We are now fully focused on making [Twitter] a successful business." MySpace to Simplify Its Privacy Controls ClickZ As users and regulators become more and more concerned by complex privacy settings on social networks such as Facebook, MySpace says it plans to simplify settings on its own site in order to offer users better control over which data they share on its network. Facebook CEO Depicted as Ruthless in Film Times Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is being portrayed in a new film from Sony's Columbia Pictures as "ruthless and untrustworthy." "The Social Network," directed by David Fincher and due out in October, reportedly presents Zuckerberg as a "borderline-autistic conniver." Facebook to Make Changes Amid Backlash Financial Times Facebook plans to simplify its privacy controls after controversy over its handling of personal data. According to Google, global queries for "delete Facebook account" more than doubled last week, reaching an all-time high. Most of those searches came from the United States. Google Mistakenly Collected Private Data MarketWatch Google is disclosing that it mistakenly collected private information about Internet users, including the websites they visit, from unprotected wireless networks as it compiled information for part of its mapping service. "Maintaining people's trust is crucial to everything we do." Apple: Gizmodo iPhone Photos 'Damaging' InfoWeek An Apple lawyer says that the photos of the missing iPhone prototype, which appeared on the Gawker Media blog Gizmodo, were "immensely damaging" to the company, and could hurt sales, court documents show. Apple confirms that the device was "from Apple, officially." Gawker vs Apple CEO in Email Exchange Gawker Gawker writer Ryan Tate, critical of a new ad for the Apple iPad, sent an email to CEO Steve Jobs, which led to an unexpected exchange. Jobs e-mails: "What have you done that's so great? Do you create anything, or just criticize others work and belittle their motivations?" YouTube Seeks More Professional Content LA Times YouTube aims to become nothing less than the world's television, adding full-length movies, two-hour concerts and live sporting events. Google's video site now streams 2 billion video views a day -- more than the number of videos served up by three major broadcasters combined. Google, Intel in Web TV Launch With Sony Financial Times Google and Intel are expected to announce a breakthrough into consumer electronics and the broadcast industry this week with the launch of a "Smart TV" platform. The two companies are said to be ready to reveal a deal with Sony, bringing web services to its televisions. TiVo Court Loss Could Spark 'Revolution' Forbes Dish Network will get a rehearing from a federal appeals court in its patent dispute with TiVo, extending a long battle over the software at the heart of digital video recorders. Should the courts ultimately side with Dish, the move "could spark a revolution in living room electronics." Blockbuster Stirs Bankruptcy Fears Again Dallas Business Movie rental giant Blockbuster says it will have enough cash in hand, cash from operations and other funding sources to support financial obligations for the next 12 months. It also notes that if obligations at some point cannot be met, bankruptcy would be an option. Apple iPad May Become Available at Wal-Mart Bloomberg Wal-Mart may start selling Apple's iPad in 2010 in some of its U.S. stores as more consumers want to connect their e-mail, movies, games and music. "We anticipate being able to have the iPad later this year," Wal-Mart says, declining to provide specifics on pricing. Google: Display Ads Our Next Huge Business CNET Google execs faced little hostility at the company's annual stockholder meeting this year. CEO Eric Schmidt outlined Google's overall vision of the world and presented briefly on the company's major operations, calling display advertising "probably our next huge business." Facebook Mum About Meeting on Privacy Computerworld Facebook is staying mum about what went on during its company-wide meeting on privacy. The company says: "We had a productive discussion where comments were made." Facebook declines to say if it made any decisions about changing its contentious privacy policies. Netflix Boosted by Amazon Takeover Talk San Jose Business Netflix shares jumped to record high of $119.50 on Thursday on renewed rumors that Amazon.com may buy it. Amazon takeover talk is nothing new at Netflix, and analysts aren't putting much stock in the latest round of rumors. "Such an acquisition doesn't make sense." Thrillist Adds E-Commerce with Acquisition TechCrunch Thrillist, the website aimed at young men, is acquiring JackThreads, a members-only commerce site that focuses on flash sales for men's fashion. JackThreads, based Columbus, Ohio, will add an e-commerce revenue stream to Thrillist's existing advertising revenue. Apple 'Loses' Yet Another iPhone Prototype NY Post A Vietnamese Web site called Taoviet appears to have its hands on another wayward iPhone prototype that is similar to the one tech blog Gizmodo publicized last month after an Apple engineer left it in a bar in California. The second prototype is described as more "polished." LimeWire Crushed in Infringement Lawsuit Wired LimeWire, one of the largest remaining peer-to-peer services, has been found liable of copyright infringement in a case brought by the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA was seeking up to $150,000 per violation from the Lime Group, the firm behind the service. Google to Add Content to Search Pages CNET Searchers on Google looking for specific facts will soon find those answers right below the query box, a move expected to increase the amount of time users spend on the Internet giant's pages. As with most new Google features, it will roll out gradually to users. Yahoo's Massive New HQ Plan Approved MarketWatch Yahoo has won approval from local officials to build a massive, 3 million-square-foot office campus in the heart of Silicon Valley, an ambitious project in the midst of the company's turnaround. The sprawling campus of 13 six-story buildings will resemble Google's headquarters. Facebook Faces Fresh Privacy Criticism Financial Times Facebook has been sharply criticized by European data protection officials for putting users' privacy at risk. Officials advising the European Commission say in a letter to the social network that changes to its default settings in December were "unacceptable." YouTube Adds 'Unlisted' Privacy Option WebProNews YouTube is adding an option that privacy enthusiasts should like: Users can now upload videos and mark them as unlisted. Only people with the link to the video page will be able to view any video marked as such. Unlisted videos will not appear on any public YouTube pages. Tablets, E-Readers Win Few Media Dollars Financial Times Consumers will pay for media on new devices like Apple's iPad, but at lower prices than many publishers are hoping for, says a study by Boston Consulting Group. U.S. consumers will pay just $2 to $4 for a magazine and $5 to $10 for a monthly newspaper subscription. Google, Verizon Working on Tablet Device Wall St Journal Verizon says it is working with Google on a tablet computer, as the company works to catch up with Apple iPad host AT&T in the area of devices that connect to wireless networks. Tablets are part of the "next big wave of opportunities," says Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam. AOL Tests New Image-Heavy Home Page TechCrunch AOL is testing a dramatic new home page layout with a small percentage of users. The plain vanilla "portal" look with tons of columnized links to internal AOL content is gone. The test site features a row of large, colorful pictures up top along with related news item headlines. Facebook Passes Yahoo In Display Ads Wall St Journal Facebook is catching up to rivals Yahoo and Microsoft in selling display advertisements. In the first quarter, Facebook pulled ahead of Yahoo for the first time and delivered more banner ads to its U.S. users than any other Web publisher, according to comScore. Apple CEO 'Invigorated,' Plans Biography Bloomberg Steve Jobs, a year after getting a liver transplant that saved his life, is back at work at Apple full tilt. Jobs is "invigorated because of the release of the iPad." He is also cooperating on a biography to be written by former Time magazine editor Walter Isaacson. Obama Says Apple iPad Hurts Democracy Yahoo News President Obama, in a graduation speech at Hampton University in Virginia, took a surprisingly hard line against Apple products: "With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, information becomes ... a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment." Foursquare Mulls Ads for Member Profiles MediaPost Foursquare developers are "actively thinking" about applications to help advertisers, marketers and merchants understand and reach consumers better through ads, promotions and specials. One option being considered would potentially tie ads to member profiles. Twitter Readies Features for Businesses Mashable After close to five months of beta testing, Twitter is preparing to launch a suite of business features tied to a central Twitter Business Center. New capabilities will include customization of business profile pages and verified account badges for companies. Google Looking for Social Media Leader GigaOm Google says it is willing to accept its shortcomings on the social Web and bring in a "Head of Social" to set it on the right course. The company is hiring an executive recruiter to fill the position, and is currently in the process of casting its net as widely as possible. Google at Work to Help Save News Business Atlantic Google engineers and strategists are working on initiatives to help save the news industry, writes James Fallows. The goal is a "reinvented business model." While paywalls are likely to "come in a wide variety," Google is aware of the problem of "the disruption still ahead." Facebook Hires Former Bush FTC Chief Financial Times Facebook is hiring Tim Muris, the former Republican chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, to defend its privacy practices. As Facebook grows more influential, governments around the globe are grappling with questions of how to regulate the Internet phenom. Google Targeted by 'Hell Raising' Journo WaPo John Simpson, a 62-year-old former reporter for USA Today and the Los Angeles Times, is on a mission to break up Google. The self-described "hell raiser," who now works for the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog, claims that the search giant is "abusing its market power." Yahoo Offers Early Stats on iPad Users San Jose Business Early users of the Apple iPad are more likely to be wealthy males between the ages of 35 and 44, according to a report from Yahoo on demos it is seeing on its sites. Men outnumber women among iPad users, 66% to 34%. Young people "are not flocking to the iPad." AOL Top Exec Buys $11.1 Million in Stock Bloomberg AOL chief Tim Armstrong is buying about $11.1 million worth of the Internet company's stock. His purchase, disclosed in a regulatory filing, follows the stock’s 18% slide last week. "I believe in the AOL brand, our strategy and most importantly our team," he says. Yahoo, Google Websites Suffer Slowdowns Bloomberg Yahoo and Google sustained slowdowns on Web pages that provide financial data as U.S. stocks tumbled Thursday and users swarmed the Internet for market updates. Yahoo Finance says it "experienced intermittent issues related to traffic from the market activity." Apple iPad Tablet in Short Supply at Stores Bloomberg Apple retail stores in 13 U.S. cities -- including New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco -- say they sold out of all three versions of the iPad 3G touch-screen tablet, and have no information about when they will get more to sell. "Demand continues to exceed supply," Apple says. Google Sues Record Label Over Copyrights H'wood Reporter Google is taking the rare step of asking a California judge to declare that by linking to copyright-infringing works on Rapidshare, the search giant is not facilitating the illegal distribution of copyrighted songs. Blue Destiny Records had accused Google of supporting Rapidshare. Diller's IAC Gets 44% of Revenue from Google SF Business Ask.com captures just 2% of U.S. online searches. However, owner Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp got 44% of its first quarter revenue from Ask's ostensible rival, Google. A "significant component" of IAC's revenue is from a paid listing agreement with the search giant. Digg Lays Off Staffers After Facebook Move CNET One month after a shakeup that saw the departure of CEO Jay Adelson, social-news site Digg says it is laying off around 10% of its employees, or about a dozen people. Following the release of Facebook's "like" button, the buyout rumors surrounding Digg have come to a halt. Google Takes Stake in TV Ad Startup Invidi ClickZ Google is acquiring a stake in Invidi Technologies, which helps advertisers target cable and satellite viewers with "addressable" ads. The search giant leads a $23 million round of funding that includes WPP's Group M and Motorola, as well as a handful of venture capital firms. Yahoo Bashes Google in New Ad Campaign Wall St Journal Yahoo is launching a $85 million marketing campaign that takes a swipe at Google and tries to drive people to the company's sites. The slogan: "Your favorite stuff all in one place." The effort will include portable outdoor kiosks and giant iPhones in movie theaters. Google Overhauls Search with New Tools Bloomberg Google is unveiling the eighth iteration of its search results page. Users now get results with an extra column of tools to drill deeper into data, such as shopping sites and videos. Bing and Twitter have made a case that Google's relevance-ranked search is outmoded. FCC in Effort to Regulate Internet Access Wall St Journal The U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to propose regulating broadband lines under decades-old rules designed for traditional phone networks. The move will likely trigger a battle between Silicon Valley giants and big phone and cable companies. Twitter: It's 'Totally Uncool' for Teenagers LA Times "I don't know one high schooler that uses Twitter," says one 17 year-old. "It's something for adults who feel like it makes them hip." Another teenager is dismissive of celebrities who use Twitter as a self-promotional tool. "I hate it when they say, 'Follow me on Twitter.'" Newsy Video News Site Raises $2 Million St Louis Business Newsy, an online video news site that monitors and analyzes news coverage from various media, is raising $2 million from angel investors for a total of $2.7 million since February 2008. Newsy operates from a newsroom near the journalism school at University of Missouri. Web Privacy Bill Introduced in Congress Mediaweek Reps. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) are releasing a draft of a bill to require Internet publishers and advertising networks disclose when they collect data on Internet users. But it will not require users to actively opt-in to have data about them collected. YouTube Offers Clues in Times Square Bomb Wired YouTube may have helped lead federal agents to arrest Faisal Shahzad in the Times Square bomb scare. One clue in the investigation was a Taliban video posted online early Sunday morning by persons in Connecticut, who may have been involved in the bombing attempt. Google to Launch Digital Books by Summer Wall St Journal Google will begin selling digital books in late June or July, taking on both market leader Amazon.com and new entrant Apple. The new service, to be called Google Editions, will allow users buy digital copies of books they discover through the Internet giant's book search service. Apple Risks Becoming Microsoft of Mobile Wired Apple could soon be the target of an antitrust investigation by either the Federal Trade Commission or the Department of Justice, with the feds focusing on its new policy requiring developers to write iPhone apps using only Apple-approved programming languages. RealNetworks to Offer Games on Facebook Bloomberg RealNetworks will introduce an app called GameHouse for Facebook with 1,000 games that can be played by users of the social-networking site. The company plans to later offer GameHouse on sites such as News Corp.'s MySpace and Comcast's video-gaming service. Facebook, Twitter Post Big Traffic Gains SF Business Facebook and Twitter have posted big year-over-year U.S. traffic gains, according to a survey by Nielsen. Facebook showed a 69% increase, going from 69 million to 117 million unique users, while Twitter posted gains of 45%, going from 13.8 million to 20.1 million. Old Media Worry About Facebook, Twitter Wall St Journal While Google is often the largest driver of traffic to news companies' websites, traffic from Facebook and Twitter is growing much more quickly these days. Hearst is seeing traffic from social media sites grow at a 250% annual rate. "Will Twitter and Facebook own our destiny too?" Microsoft Bows 'Spindex' Social Aggregator CNET Microsoft is unveiling a tool called Spindex, a social-media aggregator pulling Facebook, Twitter and other media-sharing services into one place. Spindex, currently in a limited private beta, aims to provide a way to sift through the "media" side of social media. Nielsen Buys Video Tech Firm GlanceGuide TechCrunch Nielsen is acquiring GlanceGuide, a video analytics outfit that provides insights into how consumers interact with the video they watch online. The acquisition will allow audience-measurement giant Nielsen to offer enhanced video metrics to online video advertisers. YouTube Increases Display Advertisers 10-Fold Bloomberg Google says it has boosted the number of advertisers using display ads on its YouTube video site 10-fold in the past year, a sign the company is making headway to lift sales in businesses other than search. "YouTube gives advertisers massive reach and massive audience." Google Ventures Won't Invest in 'Evil' Startups VentureBeat Google plans to expand its corporate venture arm this year, with the intention of looking for deals totaling $100 million. The Internet giant declines to be pinned down on the kinds of startups the firm is eyeing, but says that the company won't invest in "something that's evil." Facebook Valued at $20 Billion After Stake Sale NY Post Facebook may now be worth $20 billion -- the same market cap as Starbucks and well above the social-networking site's $3.7 billion valuation that emerged last year from court papers. The latest valuation is based on Digital Sky Technologies boss Yuri Milner's 10% stake. Twitter Embeds Tweets to Expand Presence CNET Twitter is introducing a feature that will make it easier to embed a tweet in a Web document. The microblogging service will provide a special snippet of code to be used to embed a tweet using HTML. The feature is likely to expand Twitter's presence around the Web. Apple iPad Sells Faster Than iPhone Rollout Reuters Apple has sold 1 million iPads since their April 3 launch, as the company passed the sales milestone faster than expected. Apple says that the 9.7-inch touchscreen iPad reached the million sales mark in only 28 days. The pricier, high-speed wireless model rolled out on Friday. Glam Media Ready for IPO with New CFO Hire TechCrunch Glam Media is naming former Microsoft corporate M&A head Bruce Jaffe as its new CFO. The move signals that the network of more than 450 women-oriented sites may be preparing to go public, as Jaffe has had much experience at a major public tech company. TheStreet Names Ex-Time Digital Exec to Board TheStreet TheStreet is naming Vivek Shah, a longtime Time Warner exec, to its board. Shah, who spent 15 years, nearly his entire career, at Time Warner's Time Inc., served most recently as group president in charge of digital media, where he oversaw sites including Time.com. Sony Has High Hopes for New Dash Device LA Times Sony's new Dash, a device with a screen the size of a paperback book, streams informational nuggets from the Web -- news, weather, traffic, Facebook status updates, Twitter streams and Netflix movies. Sony is calling it the future: "It's a dashboard for your online life." Apple May Offer TV Shows, Movies Online Reuters Lala, the online music service, will be shut down on May 31, just five months after Apple bought the startup, fueling speculation the iPod maker plans to launch a Web-based version of iTunes. Such a service could be used for other digital media like TV shows and movies. YouTube Develops Self-Serve Film Rentals MediaPost YouTube engineers are working on a self-service method that will give moviemakers the ability to upload and provide their streaming content for rent. The option aims to keep the Google-owned video service on a path to continually simplify the site and its features. Twitter: More Like CNN Than Facebook PC World Twitter resembles a traditional news outlet more than it does a social network like Facebook, according to a group of Korean researchers. While CNN breaks news first more than half the time, news appears on Twitter before CNN a considerable number of times as well. Yahoo Chief Sees Trouble Ahead for Google BBC News Google will have "a problem" if it does not diversify, according to Yahoo boss Carol Bartz. "Google is going to have a problem because Google is only known for search. It is only half our business; it's 99.9% of their business. They've got to find other things to do." Google Acquisition Stirs Talk of 3-D Tablet GigaOm Is a tablet in Google's future with a three-dimensional, multi-touch screen? Google's latest acquisition, BumpTop, a startup whose software creates a 3-D environment where users can move around files, could be used in the search giant's rumored forthcoming iPad-like tablet. AOL's New Focus on Content Faces Doubts MW / WaPo Doubts persist over whether AOL's focus on content sites -- with its "massive sea" of 80 brands, ranging from Politics Daily to Lemondrop -- has permeated the market. "The jury is entirely out on AOL." Also: AOL is rolling out more Patch newspaper-like local news sites. Hulu: Will Viewers See Stewart, Colbert? AP Viacom is giving few hints about whether viewers will likely see Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" again on the video site Hulu. The two shows have been absent from Hulu since last month. "We will look forward to new distribution strategies." Google May Get FTC OK to Acquire AdMob NY Post The Federal Trade Commission was expected to recommend blocking Google's $750 million acquisition of mobile advertising network AdMob, But perhaps thanks in part to Apple's new iAds, the FTC now says there are valid arguments to both approve or nix the merger. Apple to Charge Premium for Mobile iAds Wall St Journal Apple aims to charge close to $1 million for advertising on its mobile devices this year and perhaps even more to be among the first. Apple has indicated it could charge as much as $10 million to be part of a handful of marketers at the launch of its new iAd program. Yahoo Boss Starts Reign with Big Bucks AP Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz received a $47.2 million pay package during her first year on the job as the Internet company tried to motivate her to engineer a turnaround. The 2009 package was spelled out in a regulatory filing. Her first year, however, proved to be "a mixed bag." Microsoft to Shelve iPad Rival Device Reuters Microsoft says its "Courier" tablet PC, vaunted as a potential rival to Apple's iPad, will not be launched as a product, at least not in its current form. The device appears to be a thin, twin-screen, pen and touch-operated portable PC resembling an open notebook. Amazon's Kindle to Become More Social PC World Amazon will soon roll out a software upgrade for its Kindle e-reader that will allow users to share book passages with their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. The upgrade also lets users see what other folks rate as the most interesting book passages. Facebook Crushing MySpace, Stats Show Techworld News Corp.'s MySpace is losing the battle against the social networking steamroller that is Facebook. While Facebook now reaches more than 0.5 percent of all Internet traffic, rival MySpace has plummeted to sub-0.1%, according an analysis by Arbor Networks. Twitter Has 'Yet to Articulate Its Value' Radio Ink Some 87% of Americans are now aware of Twitter, up from 24% in 2009, according to a study by Arbitron/Edison Research. But the number of active American users comes in at a mere 7%. "Twitter has yet to articulate its value to mainstream Americans." Apple Mishap Stirs Talk of Video Phone BusinessWeek The Apple prototype iPhone "lost" in a Silicon Valley bar this month features a tiny camera just above the touchscreen -- stirring speculation that the next device from the company will offer video phone calls. "Apple could help move video calling to the mainstream." Gizmodo Pay for iPhone a 'Finder's Fee' Wired Brian Hogan, the 21-year-old who found and sold an Apple iPhone prototype to the Gawker Media tech site Gizmodo, says he regrets not doing more to return the device to its owner. Hogan says he believed the Gizmodo payment was merely to let the site "review the phone.” HP's Palm Deal Rescues Backer of Forbes Bloomberg Elevation Partners' $460 million investment in Palm got rescued when Hewlett-Packard agreed to buy the money-losing phone maker. Elevation, the private-equity firm that also holds stakes in Forbes and the review site Yelp, will get back $485 million in the deal. Google Still Ranked World's Leading Brand Guardian Google's tribulations in China have failed to knock the Internet giant from its perch as the world's most powerful brand, according to a report by WPP-owned research firm Millward Brown. Despite the incessant hype, Facebook failed to make even the top 100 on the list. Facebook CEO Doesn't Believe in Privacy Wired Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears to have been outed as not caring one whit about privacy. A tweet by New York Times tech blogger Nick Bilton reads: "Off record chat w/ Facebook employee. Me: How does Zuck feel about privacy? Response: He doesn't believe in it." Twitter CEO: SF is Most 'Twitterized' City Wall St Journal San Francisco is the most "Twitterized" city, meaning it has the most Twitter users per capita, according to CEO Evan Williams. "If something is happening in San Francisco, someone is tweeting about it." SF-based Twitter has added more than 125 employees in the past year. Apple Expected to Unveil Updated iPhone Reuters Apple will host its annual developers conference starting June 7, where the company is expected to unveil the latest version of the iPhone. The event will run through June 11 in San Francisco. Analysts expect Apple to show off the newest iPhone at this year's gathering. Comcast Eyes Google in Net Neutrality Ars Technica Comcast, the star ISP in the drama over the Federal Communications Commission's proposed Open Internet rules, says in a filing that Google should also bear the burden of "gatekeeper" scrutiny: "If a website is not listed in Google's search results, it is as if it does not exist." Google Wins Ruling on 'Thumbnail' Images Bloomberg Google has won dismissal of a lawsuit in Germany's top civil court aimed at stopping the company's use of "thumbnail" preview images. Google isn't violating the copyright of an artist who had posted photos of her works on her Web site, the court says. AOL Unlikely to See Ad Turnaround Soon MarketWatch Investors pushed shares of AOL down 14% after the company reported an earnings decline, and warned that it isn't likely to see an advertising turnaround until next year. AOL also disclosed the sale of its ICQ instant-messaging unit to Russia's Digital Sky Technologies. IAC's Diller Seeks Digital Media Biz Model Dow Jones Barry Diller, head of digital media conglomerate IAC/InteractiveCorp, says the company is working toward a new business model for creating media content on the Internet. The process is "likely to take years." Diller is a backer of Tina Brown's The Daily Beast. Apple Asked for Lost iPhone Criminal Probe San Jose Business The criminal investigation into the purported theft of an apparent iPhone prototype, which ended up on gadget blog Gizmodo, came at the request of Apple. Police raided the home of one of Gizmodo's editors on Friday, seizing equipment and triggering legal and ethical debates. Twitter Use Forecast to Rise Through 2012 Adweek Twitter is now well integrated into the social media mainstream, and usage levels are expected to continue rising, albeit more moderately, through 2012, says eMarketer. "The company could become a profitable enterprise and an increasingly vital social media conduit." Apple Bans Certain Media Apps for iPhone Wired Apple has rejected an app for the iPhone from editorial cartoonist Daryl Cagle's syndicate that pokes fun at Tiger Woods -- while allowing in one that focuses on President Obama. In its rejection, Apple told Cagle that the app "contains content that ridicules public figures." YouTube Yanks Music Video for Violence NY Daily News The new music video "Born Free," by hip-hopper M.I.A., has been banned from YouTube for its graphic violence. The clip follows a SWAT-like team as it rounds up redheads and kills them one by one. M.I.A. took to Twitter to rage against Universal Music for pulling the video. Google Jumps Into Casual Gaming Market BGR Google has added Labpixies to its repertoire of newly acquired properties. The startup out of Israel produces casual games and was one of the first developers to create gadgets for iGoogle. "Working at Google will help us scale to more users," Labpixies says. Yahoo Secures UK Soccer Online Rights Media Week Yahoo has secured exclusive U.K. online highlights for English Premier League soccer for the next three seasons. League CEO Richard Scudamore says: "The online highlights package is an important medium for supporters to be able to follow match action." Verizon FiOS to Offer YouTube, Net Radio H'wood Reporter Verizon's FiOS television service has signed new deals that will make it the first TV provider to offer both YouTube and Internet radio on the TV screen. The video service is adding access to hundreds of radio stations, allowing subscribers to stream music from the PC to the TV. Hulu to Abandon UK After Talks Collapse Telegraph Hulu is being forced to abandon plans to launch a U.K. version of the Web video site after talks with major British broadcasters collapsed. Hulu's team says they have been unable to get "any traction in the British TV market," adding that the market "does not match expectations." Yahoo Seeks to Exploit Blog 'Portal Power' Observer The thawing of the media job market appears to extend to top Web portals. Yahoo, CNN.com and others are rolling out robustly staffed blog networks. "A big part of Yahoo News is portal power," says Yahoo exec Jamie Mottram. "It's our original voice. It's our writers." Google to Add Search for TV Episodes TrustedReviews Google is launching a custom search service that will locate specific television show episodes. Show seasons and episode breakdowns will be displayed when searching for a show title. "We're making it easier to find the content you want," says Google VP Marissa Mayer. Samsung Mulls Creating a 'Google TV' VentureBeat The Korea Herald, an English-language newspaper based in South Korea, quotes an unnamed Samsung exec: "We are considering Google TVs. We are examining the business feasibility." The television sets would run on Google's Android operating system. YouTube Upgrades Tool for Media Firms WebProNews YouTube Direct, a tool that allows media companies to request and rebroadcast clips from the video-sharing site, is rolling out an upgrade. Partners such as ABC News, Politico and the Washington Post will be able to accept photos from citizen reporters. Facebook Expansion Concerns Senators AP Four U.S. senators want Facebook to make it easier for its more than 400 million users to protect their privacy as the social network develops new outlets to share personal data. The pressure threatens to deter Facebook's efforts to put its stamp on more sites. Video Games Targeted by Supreme Court San Jose Business The Supreme Court will hear arguments on a California law that could keep violent video games from minors. Both a federal judge and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California had not provided enough evidence to prove a claim that minors are harmed by such games. Twitter Takes Down a Tweet After Notice Techdirt A music blogger named JP says Twitter removed one of his tweets about the leak of the new album after someone filed a DMCA claim. Twitter sent JP a note: "The following material has been removed from your account in response to a DMCA take-down notice." Social Media to 'Explode' at World Cup CNN This year's World Cup, which will be the first of the "social media age," may see record levels of global interactivity. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter were in their infancy in 2006, when the last World Cup took place, but have since exploded in popularity. Apple's 'Lost' iPhone Spurs Probe by Police CNET Silicon Valley police are investigating the "lost" Apple iPhone purchased for $5,000 by Gawker Media gadget blog Gizmodo. The probe aims to determine whether evidence exists to file criminal charges. Apple is known for taking aggressive measures to protect its products. Barnes & Noble E-Reader Adds Web Browser AP Barnes & Noble plans to roll out a software update to its electronic reader the Nook that will let users surf the Web and play games. The bookseller says the update will also allow users to browse complete books in Barnes & Noble stores for up to an hour a day for free. Foursquare to Decide on Sale Within Weeks Bloomberg Foursquare, the location-based Web service that reached 1 million users last week, will decide whether to sell itself or raise more venture capital within weeks, according to CEO Dennis Crowley. Potential suitors reportedly include Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook. Twitter Buys Cloudhopper for Mobile Tweets eWeek Twitter has acquired the startup Cloudhopper for an undisclosed amount. Cloudhopper's messaging software will help Twitter connect with mobile carriers all over the world with little downtime. The buy is a reminder that Twitter was originally conceived as a mobile-first service. Microsoft, Google See Arabic Web Growth Reuters The further integration of Arabic language capabilities in Internet and other technological architecture will grant millions access to the digital world, say Microsoft and Google execs. The tech giants see "more e-commerce, more publishers, more news sites" in Arabic countries. YouTube Pacts with 'America's Got Talent' H'wood Reporter NBC and the producers of "America's Got Talent" are partnering with YouTube to put the show's auditions online. Acts can upload videos onto Google's video-sharing site to be considered for the show. "Got Talent" videos have frequently become viral hits on YouTube. AOL: Ex-FCC Chief Powell Stepping Down MarketWatch Michael Powell, the former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has resigned from AOL's nominating and governance committee. Powell, who was named to AOL's board shortly before the company was spun out of Time Warner, will remain as a director. Yahoo Hires Journos to Help Find 'Voice' Mediaweek Yahoo is on the verge of hiring more traditional journalists as it plans to aggressively beef up original content for its top verticals, including news, business and entertainment. Still, the Web's biggest publisher won't be ditching licensed fare: "One goal is to be a better aggregator." Apple Passes Microsoft on S&P 500 Index MarketWatch Boosted by upbeat investor reaction this week, Apple has become the second-largest company on the S&P 500 Index in terms of market cap, surpassing Microsoft. Apple, with a market cap of $241.5 billion, trails only Exxon Mobil and its market cap of $300 billion. Amazon: Kindle E-Reader Still No. 1 Product TechCrunch Amazon.com, in its latest earnings report, says the Kindle remains its bestselling product, with the number of books for the device reaching 500,000 titles. The company is clearly emphasizing Kindle's status in response to new competitiveness from Apple's iPad. MySpace Sale Not in Social Net's 'Futura' Business Insider MySpace will be the first Internet company to turn itself around after losing its momentum, vows co-president Jason Hirschhorn. The social network, which is working on a redesign, code-named "Futura," coming this fall, is not being pretty-upped for a sale, he adds. YouTube Quietly Opens Video Rental Store ReadWriteWeb YouTube has quietly begun offering a variety of movies and television episodes available for rent. After experimenting with $5 rentals of Sundance Film Festival movies in January, the site is now offering 48-hour rentals mostly between 99 cents and $3.99. Tribeca Film Festival Offers Movies Online CNBC This year's Tribeca Film Festival is adding video-on-demand and online streaming. A $45 pass to Tribeca Film Festival Virtual buys access to stream eight feature films as they premiere, along with discussions with filmmakers, plus access to the festival's short films. Netflix: Subscribers Tap Streaming Video CNET Netflix's transition from a DVD distributor to a streaming content provider has hit a notable milestone -- 55% of its nearly 14 million subscribers are now watching movies and television via the Internet. The company's total number of subscribers is up 35% from a year ago. Facebook to 'Transform' Web with Sharing CNN Facebook is unveiling a platform, Open Graph, allowing users to view friends' likes and comments while visiting other Web sites. CNN and ESPN are among the first to use the new technology. CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls it "the most transformative thing we've ever done." Google to Bring Consumer Ratings to Ads ClickZ Under a new partnership between Google and Bazaarvoice, advertisers will be able to display their online reviews within their AdWords campaigns, as well as have them appear in searches on Google. Ads will display the number of users to review a product. Apple May Limit Worker Access to iPhones Bloomberg Apple, embarrassed after Gizmodo obtained an iPhone prototype lost by an engineer in a bar, probably will limit the number of early devices it gives employees, analysts say. Going forward, "only high-level execs" will likely test new devices outside Apple's campus. Hulu to Test a $9.95 Subscription Service LA Times Hulu is said to be planning to test a subscription service, called Hulu Plus, as soon as May 24. The popular site for watching television shows will continue to provide the five most recent episodes of shows for free. After that, viewers will pay $9.95 a month to access more. Sony to Air Baseball Games on PlayStation 3 Bloomberg Sony, maker of the PlayStation 3 video game console, plans to stream live Major League Baseball games over the Internet to its machines to expand its online offerings. The company is preparing an update for the console software to enable streaming on existing machines. Microsoft, Chernin Mull Xbox TV Channel Bloomberg Microsoft and former News Corp. president Peter Chernin are said to have discussed creating a television channel for users of the Xbox video-game console. The channel would be owned jointly by Chernin and Microsoft, and would offer reruns and original shows. Google Eyes Buy of Travel Software Maker Bloomberg Google is said to be in talks to acquire ITA Software, a maker of travel programs used by companies including Orbitz. Google could use ITA Software's tools, which help users find online flight information, to compete with travel-search features offered by Microsoft. Yahoo Sees Search Ad Sales Contract Reuters Yahoo says large advertisers have showed a renewed appetite for online display ads, but the company's troubled search business has put a damper on its comeback plan. "The display market is coming back," says CEO Carol Bartz. "The quality of advertisers is on the rise." Apple: Profit Up 90% on iPhone Sales Bloomberg Apple is reporting net income and sales that soared past analysts' estimates as CEO Steve Jobs promised to release "more extraordinary products" this year. Second-quarter profit almost doubled to $3.07 billion. "It’s another monster quarter. The iPhone is on fire right now." Facebook Profiles to Play Up Brands, Bands AP Facebook is revamping users' profiles to emphasize the pages for bands, books and businesses that millions have become fans of on the world's largest online social network. Facebook is also adding some privacy controls so that users' friends can't see lists of other friends. Google Preps Launch of Pop-Culture Blog Gawker YouTube is said to be preparing a new blog highlighting the "latest buzz," and the video-sharing site is seeking professional journalists to write it. Google's search for bloggers is believed to have roped in Daily Beast, Radar and New York Post veteran Rachel Syme. AOL Goes After Google's Display Business ClickZ AOL is taking a stab at competing more directly with Google in display advertising sales by making inventory from its Advertising.com and other properties available through a new ad management platform. Advertisers will be given more insight into campaign data. Google Cyberattack Hit Password System NY Times Google's password system that controls access to almost all of its Web services, including e-mail and business applications, was hacked through an innocuous message sent to an employee in China. The system was attacked in a raid taking less than two days last December. YouTube CEO Hurley Has TV in His Sights Telegraph YouTube head Chad Hurley says he wants his video-sharing service to be watched in the same way as television, up from 15 minutes a day to an average of five hours. Such a shift would have the potential to open up the global $450 billion advertising market to YouTube. Apple 'Next Gen iPhone' Found in Calif Bar PC World The "next" Apple iPhone has been found in a bar in Redwood City, Calif., says Gawker Media gadget blog Gizmodo, which published photos of the device. Gizmodo, which paid $5,000 for the phone, later published a letter from Apple requesting its immediate return. Text Messaging Dominate Among Teenagers Reuters A third of U.S. teenagers with cell phones send more than 100 texts a day as texting has exploded to become the most popular means of communication for young people, says a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Texting "has skyrocketed." Twitter Poised to Extend Text of Messages Ars Technica Twitter is preparing to launch several new features, including an annotation system that will make it possible for third-party developers to piggy-back additional data on top of tweets. Potential uses include transmitting extended message text and conducting polls. HuffPost E-Newsletter for Beltway Junkies Mediaweek The Huffington Post has spent the past few years expanding beyond its initial political focus; now the site is going back to its roots with the launch of HuffPost Hill, a daily afternoon e-newsletter for Beltway junkies. HuffPost Hill will blend news and opinion with D.C. gossip. Microsoft Staffers Lead in Social Media Use Reuters Microsoft employees are the most social media-savvy in the world, says a survey by marketing contact database NetProspex ranking company use of social media. Other companies in the top five include Amazon, eBay, Google and Disney. Apple ranked number 10. Viacom-Google Case Airs More Documents AP Before it bought YouTube, Google execs believed the online video service's business was risky because it relied on pirated content, says newly released documents from the Viacom-Google copyright case. Google called YouTube a "rogue enabler of content theft." Microsoft Top Ad Exec to Leave Company ClickZ Scott Howe, Microsoft's top exec in charge of its advertiser and publisher solutions group, is leaving the company. Howe will be replaced by Rik van der Kooi, CFO of Microsoft's online services division. Howe is credited with negotiating Microsoft's divesture of Razorfish. Tech Startups Aim to 'Overthrow' Old Media New York A new generation of tech entrepreneurs in New York City is trying to "overthrow old media." Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley doesn't deny rumors of an acquisition by Yahoo. "We're trying to figure out what the best thing is for us going forward. The future is rosy." Apple iPad: Can It Topple Amazon's Kindle? New Yorker The book industry's great hope is that the Apple iPad will help make electronic books profitable. But it remains an open question whether consumers accustomed to paying $9.99 for an e-book will be willing to pay $13.99, or more, regardless of extras like audio or video. Facebook to Track Users Online in Ad Drive Financial Times Facebook has laid the ground for a new system to track users' behavior as they visit other sites across the Internet, using the data to deliver targeted advertisements on the social networking site. The move is likely to provoke a new round of criticism over privacy. Demand Media Hires Bank for Possible IPO Financial Times Demand Media, a startup that mines online search engine data to generate thousands of videos and Web stories a day, has hired Goldman Sachs to explore an initial public offering. The company has struck deals to supply content to news outlets such as Gannett's USA Today. ProPublica's News Paying Off for Partners WaPo ProPublica, the nonprofit newsroom founded two years ago, has earned substantial respect and a top-tier list of partners. ProPublica has done 27 stories with the Los Angeles Times, eight with USA Today, six with the Chicago Tribune and six with the New York Times. Apple Delays iPad Global Debut Over Demand CNET Apple's iPad won't be available outside the United States until the end of May, a delay of one month from its original global launch date. With customers grabbing more than 500,000 iPads during the tablet's first week, demand has been higher than expected, Apple says. Hulu to Bring British TV Shows to America NY Post Britain's ITV is in talks to bring its programming state side through Hulu. The broadcaster is committing 125 titles to the effort, including "Prime Suspect," starring Helen Mirren. The arrangement is distinct from the long-discussed deal that would bring Hulu to the U.K. MySpace Launches Social Calendar with Ads AP MySpace, in the midst of an overhaul to regain its lost mojo, is rolling out a service that blends nearly 1 million concert listings with a calendar and new links to buy tickets from partners or artists. Other events such as movie debuts and album releases are expected. Facebook 'Fans' Valued at $3.60 Per Year Adweek Social media marketer Vitrue has placed a value of $3.60 per year on Facebook "fans," giving Starbucks the equivalent of $23.4 million in annual media spending for its 6.5 million "fans." Vitrue's findings are based on impressions generated in the Facebook news feed. Obama Warns Daughters About Facebook Use AP U.S. first lady Michelle Obama says Facebook and other social media sites are a generational divide in raising her children. She and President Obama limit the use of computers for their daughters and talk with them about the dangers of Facebook and "that sort of gossip mill." Twitter Snags More Than 100 Million Users Reuters Twitter has signed up more than 100 million users and hopes to snag hundreds of millions more by making the service more accessible on mobile devices. CEO Evan Williams says generating revenue is among the key priorities going forward -- a change of tone for the firm. Google Displays Historical Tweets in Search Newsfactor Google is rolling out a feature to let searchers recall what was said about a topic on a certain day or time. The new Google feature searches the public archive of tweets from Twitter, something even Twitter doesn't offer. Historic tweets provide "valuable insights." Foursquare Teams Up with History Channel ClickZ The History Channel's campaign for the upcoming nonfiction miniseries, "America The Story of Us," incorporates Foursquare, the location-based mobile app. Foursquare users will be provided with historical tidbits about 1,000 U.S. landmarks. "It's for history geeks." Twitter Debuts 'Promoted Tweets' Ad Program NY Times Twitter is unveiling a plan to make money from advertising, finally answering the question of how it expects to turn its growth into revenue. "Promoted Tweets" will show up when Twitter users search for keywords that advertisers have bought to link to their ads. Microsoft to Roll Out Social Mobile Phone San Jose Business Microsoft has confirmed it plans to release a social media-centric mobile phone called Kin. A screen on the phone will feature content from social networking sites. The phone is aimed at people between the ages of 15 and 30. "Their social life is their Priority No. 1." Apple Plans Launch of High-Def 3D 'iSpecs' NY Post Apple has submitted a patent application that confirmed the computing giant is venturing into three dimensions on the small screen. The tech company plans to launch eyeglasses that will provide viewing of high-definition 3D video for users of the Apple iPod or iPhone. Google CEO Admits Company Create Enemies Reuters Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the company's "disruptive" business created enemies for world's No.1 search engine, and that governments were keeping a close watch on the firm. "Every government sort of has some group that's busy trying to figure out what we're up to." Yahoo Introduces Daily News-Based Series AP Yahoo's news site is teaming with Toyota and the production company Reveille to make "Who Knew?" The daily 90-second series is based on its most popular stories. Producers take the story that gets the most clicks and make a feature with background material. Twitter Launches How-To Blog to Help Media NY Observer Twitter has launched an instructional Web site to advise media companies on how to better use the microblogging service to connect with their audience. The site is chock-full of case studies, such as how a staff writer at Wired used Twitter to create a "research swarm." Google to Acquire One Company Per Month Guardian Google has made its first ever U.K .acquisition, buying mobile visual search startup Plink for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition follows CEO Eric Schmidt's statement that Google aims to acquire at least one company each month as the Internet giant expands. Google, Yahoo Poised to 'Take Over TV' Bloomberg Most television sets by 2013 will connect to the Internet right out of the box, setting the stage for the likes of Google and Yahoo to make TVs more like computers and smartphones, say industry experts. Consumers would rather not deal with cables and boxes. "It's inevitable." Apple iPad Provokes Google to Do a Slate NY Times Apple's new iPad is provoking rivals to fight back with new devices. Google is soon expected to begin selling its version of a slate computer, while Nokia plans to launch a slate e-reader as well. Also, Microsoft is flirting with the idea of selling its own version of a slate. Tina Brown: Daily Beast Mulls Sponsorships Globe and Mail Tina Brown, co-founder of the Daily Beast, is asked what a business model might look like for an Internet-only venture such as hers, which is currently supported by Barry Diller. Brown says her site will soon pursue sponsorships. "Ultimately, it's going to find its business model." Huffington Post Unveils Twitter Editions HuffPost The Huffington Post is launching Twitter editions, a mash-up of tweets and HuffPost stories for each of the 19 sections of the site, designed to offer "breaking news and analysis as it comes in." Users can tweet, retweet and reply to others directly from HuffPost. Twitter: Growth is Surging Internationally PC World More than 60% of Twitter accounts come from outside the United States, the microblogging service says. The balance of Twitter accounts shifted to international users in about September last year. Twitter is available in French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Study: Half of Americans Use Social Media WebProNews The percentage of Americans age 12 and older who have a profile on one or more social networking sites has reached almost half of the population, says a survey from Arbitron and Edison Research. "Substantial numbers" of Americans over age 35 now use social media. Apple Enters Mobile Advertising with iAds AppleInsider Apple has unveiled an ambitious advertising program for its iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch mobile devices. Developers will be able to insert ads into their apps and get a 60% cut of the revenue. "People aren't searching on their phones," says CEO Steve Jobs, in a dig at Google. Google, Yahoo, Microsoft Probes Sought San Jose Business Three advocacy groups have asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to look into advertising technology used by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. The Center for Digital Democracy, U.S. PIRG and World Privacy Forum see the ad programs as "growing privacy threats." Yahoo Tech Chief Balogh to Step Down Reuters Ari Balogh, Yahoo's chief technology officer and head of products, plans to leave the company June 3 for personal reasons. A replacement is expected to be named in the coming weeks. Balogh oversees Yahoo's advertising products. "This job was my dream job," he says. MySpace Plans Relaunch to Recover Users Sydney MH News Corp.'s MySpace is planning a relaunch to try to win back users from Facebook and reposition itself in the rapidly changing social media market. The new MySpace will have an increased focus on music and games and may leverage News Corp.'s film and TV content. Mark Burnett in Digital Content Venture Adweek Producer Mark Burnett and filmmaking collective Vimby have formed a venture to work with media companies and advertisers to develop digital branded content. Their efforts will target narrowly targeted demographic groups, such as mothers and millennials. Yahoo Publishes Style Guide for Internet Business Insider Yahoo is publishing its own stylebook for the Internet, "The Yahoo Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing and Creating Content for the Digital World." Meanwhile, the AP Stylebook's new 2010 edition will include a section on social media. 'Googled' Author Faces Censors in China AP "Googled" author Ken Auletta says he will not be able to promote his book in China because the government is restricting the Chinese media's writings about Google since the search engine moved off the mainland to avoid censorship. "It's outrageous," Auletta says. Ex-Googler Offers Advice on Info Overload CNET Who better to show people how to handle information in the digital era than a former Google chief information officer? Douglas Merrill has co-authored "Getting Organized in the Google Era," a book that offers advice on how to best address today's information overload. Apple iPads Exempt from Airport Security PC Mag Is the Apple iPad a "laptop" that must be taken out of a bag and put through an airport scanner separately? The TSA Blog says: "Electronic items smaller than the standard sized laptop should not need to be removed from your bag or their cases. It's that simple." Glam Media Makes Move in Mobile Publishing TechCrunch Glam Media is rolling out a mobile publishing platform. GlamMobile gives advertisers the ability to reach the largest audience of women online, now on mobile devices. Glam sees the iPad as an opportunity to bring magazine-like glossy content to the device. TheWrap Sends Cease & Desist to Newser TheWrap TheWrap, the entertainment business news site, has sent a cease and desist letter to Patrick Spain, CEO of the news aggregator Newser. "Newser free-rides on TheWrap's sweat of the brow by publishing summaries of stories without affording TheWrap appropriate credit." Gizmodo, Engadget Vets Offer New Concept Wall St Journal Peter Rojas and Ryan Block, veterans of tech blogs Gizmodo and Engadget, have secured $3 million in financing for their new gadget site, gdgt. Rather than hiring writers, gdgt relies on users to generate reviews and answer questions about thousands of gadgets. Google Sued by Photographers, Artists Reuters Google is being sued by photographers and illustrators who claim the Web search giant is scanning and displaying their work online without paying them. The lawsuit, filed by the American Society of Media Photographers and others, seeks "substantial damages." RedBox Mulls Online Streaming Service High-Def Digest Redbox appears to be considering streaming videos over the Internet for a fraction of what Netflix charges. The $1-a-night DVD rental kiosk company is surveying its customers to rate their interest in a streaming service that would cut the Netflix rate in half. Eisner's New Media Studio Hires Execs MediaPost Vuguru, the new media production studio founded by Michael Eisner, has named Miramax Films' Kristin Jones as its new chief creative officer. Also, Vuguru has named FremantleMedia's David Shall as its new head of business operations and general counsel. Google to Face Heat Over AdMob, Images WSJ / FT The U.S. Federal Trade Commission plans to block Google's proposed acquisition of mobile advertising firm AdMob on antitrust grounds. Also: The American Society of Media Photographers is expected to file a lawsuit against Google over its use of digitized images. Apple Ready to Launch Mobile Ad Platform NY Post Apple is said to be readying a system for delivering advertising across its growing array of mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Expanding into ads will heighten Apple's rivalry with Google, which is also moving aggressively into the mobile ad space. Yahoo Said to Consider Buying Foursquare Business Insider Yahoo is reportedly mulling an acquisition of the location-based startup Foursquare for about $100 million. A source close to the company says that a Foursquare-owned Yahoo "would be nice." The source adds: "We've had discussions," but "we talk to everybody." AOL Expected to Shut or Sell Bebo Network SF Business AOL is likely to either sell its social network Bebo, or shut it down, since the site, which AOL paid $850 million for two years ago, isn't keeping up with larger competitors. AOL "simply doesn't have the money to spend to try and catch" Facebook and MySpace. Facebook Restricts Employee Stock Sales San Jose Business Facebook has reportedly told employees they can't sell their shares in the company to other investors. One reason could be a fear that the company and employees could face potential liability for inadvertently giving out inside information through their trades. Twitter: Longtime Users Are Most Active eMarketer New Twitter users tweet at a steady pace while veterans are becoming "more and more active," according to research from analytics firm Sysomos. Usage patterns suggest a high level of experimentation by new users, while more experienced users are the most vocal. Apple iPad Parts May Cost as Little as $260 Bloomberg Apple's iPad tablet computer cost as little as $259.60 to build, according to an analysis by market research firm ISuppli. Materials for the iPad include a touch-screen display that costs $95 and a $26.80 processor designed by Apple and manufactured by Samsung. Google's Smartphone Market Share Jumps San Jose Business Google's share of the U.S. smartphone market more than doubled in the three months that ended in February, says comScore. Google's share increased to 9%, up from 3.8%. The company still trails Apple and Microsoft, but both of those companies have lost market share. Microsoft to Unveil 'Pink' Mobile Phones Wall St Journal Microsoft plans to introduce a new line of mobile phones with social-networking capabilities aimed at young consumers, part of the tech giant's effort to turn around its struggling mobile-phone strategy. The new devices, code-named "Pink," will be available later this month. MSN, Hachette Launch Web Site for Women AllThingsD MSN, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. and BermanBraun are unveiling Glo, a lifestyle Web site for women. While it has a decidedly glossy magazine tone, Glo is heavily laced with tools such as online scrapbooks and is strongly social, with deep links into Facebook and Twitter. EBay Launches Dedicated Fashion Web Site San Jose Business Online marketplace eBay is launching a dedicated site for clothing, shoes and accessories. The new fashion.ebay.com aims to "make it simple to browse and buy from the world's largest online selection of new, used and vintage clothing, shoes and accessories." YouTube to Monetize with New Acquisition NewsFactor Google has acquired Episodic, a video startup that offers possibilities to monetize YouTube in the booming market for Web and mobile video. Episodic lets publishers and marketers host, stream and measure video. The firm could help YouTube stay ahead of rivals. Digg CEO Adelson Resigns Before Revamp CNET Citing an "entrepreneurial calling," Digg CEO Jay Adelson has announced that he will resign from his position at the social-news site. Founder Kevin Rose will take over as interim CEO. Digg plans to revamp the site, with an increased focus on real-time news. Yelp to Show Reviews Filtered by Software AP Yelp, seeking to combat charges that the online reviews site manipulates user feedback, will now let visitors see text that has been automatically removed by software meant to catch unreliable content. Businesses have complained about how reviews can come and go on the site. AOL to Sell Instant-Messaging Service ICQ Reuters Russia's ProfMedia and DST as well as China's Tencent are said to have submitted offers to buy AOL's instant-messaging service ICQ. AOL, spun off from Time Warner in December, is currently selling non-core assets, including ICQ which is reportedly valued at $300 million. Apple Sells Over 300,000 iPads on First Day MarketWatch Apple says that it sold more than 300,000 iPads in the United States as of Saturday at midnight. Analysts had expected sales nearing 700,000 units. Also, over 1 million apps from Apple's App Store and over 250,000 ebooks from its iBookstore were sold during the first day. Media Offerings on iPad Differ at Launch AdAge Media companies have been racing to develop apps for the Apple iPad, but only some are ready from the start, ranging from ABC to USA Today, to the Weather Channel. And only some of those built new apps, while others converted versions of existing iPhone apps. IPad App Downloads Dominated by Media Mobile Media The first day of iPad use showed strong consumer interest in media apps. Among the top 10 free downloads were apps for Netflix, Weather Channel, Wall Street Journal and NYT Editors' Choice. Among paid iPad apps, only one media offering made the grade: Time magazine. Google to Offer Apple iPad Ad Targeting ClickZ Google advertisers that are eager to deliver ads to Apple's iPad device will be able to do so in the next few days. The Internet giant is developing a method for serving campaigns to the new tablet. Marketers will be able to create offers "exclusively for iPad owners." Apple Tried to Prevent Hiring of Tech Writer TalkingBizNews Newsweek tech writer Dan Lyons, who blogs as the "fake Steve Jobs," says that Apple doesn't like him because of the blog. "And Apple made it clear that they didn't want Newsweek to hire me. Newsweek hired me anyway, but sure enough, we didn't get any access." AOL Staffs Up from Old, New Media Outlets AdAge AOL is snagging talent from all sectors: Wall Street, publishing, Google, Yahoo, social-news aggregator Digg, Time Warner and even its own huge diaspora of former employees. "Unlike the New York Times, it is no longer trying to protect its eroding core business." Mobile Expected to Drive Tech Acquisitions Bloomberg Silicon Valley companies looking to put their cash to work may drive a wave of mergers this year, bankers and venture capitalists say. Mobile technology is one area where the companies want to bulk up. "M&A is definitely picking up. This is going to be a big year." Twitter Can Predict Films' Box Office Take LA Times Silicon Valley researchers claim they have discovered a way to use Twitter to gauge real-time interest in movies and accurately predict how they will perform at the box office. The sentiment of the tweets -- positive, neutral or negative -- help predict box-office returns, they say. Apple Cancels iPad Meetings with Journos VentureBeat Apple scheduled in-person iPad briefings with journalists from VentureBeat, Gizmodo and other publications, but the company's PR reps abruptly canceled. Since most early iPad reviews were positive, Apple may have decided not to shepherd further commentary. Media iPad Apps Called 'Underwhelming' GigaOm Some media-related apps for the Apple iPad have been described as "underwhelming." Apps by most newspapers and magazines merely serve up "articles and pages in a row that you can scroll through." Why don't the apps "allow the user to interact in a creative way?" Twitter, Craigslist Founders Discuss iPad LA Times Prominent techies are asked for their thoughts on the Apple iPad. Twitter creator Jack Dorsey says he doesn't believe the device will "be an immediate massive hit." Craigslist founder Craig Newmark says: "I like Apple, but they have rigid control. I'll wait for a Google tablet." Apple CEO Jobs on Time Magazine Cover AppleInsider The new issue of Time magazine features an interview with Steve Jobs by British actor Stephen Fry, in which the Apple co-founder discusses the iPad, his career and his life. Time also plans to launch a digital version of its weekly magazine for tablet computers. MySpace Removes Link to Child Predator AP MySpace says that it removed the profile of a registered sex offender who is charged with murdering a 17-year-old girl. The company worked with authorities to confirm the profile belonged to John Albert Gardner III, who used a false name to register for the account. Apple iPad Is a 'Winner,' 'Game Changer' Bloomberg Apple's iPad touch-screen tablet is a winning product that threatens to replace laptops as the dominant format for personal computers, reviewers say. The iPad "is fun, simple, stunning to look at and blazingly fast. Apple "is rewriting the rulebook for mainstream computing." Amazon Strikes Two Book-Pricing Deals Wall St Journal Facing the launch of Apple's iPad, Amazon.com has agreed to halt heavy discounting of e-book best-sellers in new pricing deals with CBS' Simon & Schuster and News Corp.'s HarperCollins. Some new best sellers will be priced at $9.99, but most will be $12.99 to $14.99. MySpace Relaunch to Exploit Broadband National MySpace plans to reinvent its service by exploiting broadband to deliver a vast array of News Corp. content. By catering to each user's personal tastes, MySpace could allow News Corp. to sell packages of film, TV, music and games tailored to each consumer. Facebook Hires Former Bebo CEO Shields San Jose Business Facebook has hired the former CEO of the Bebo social networking site, Joanna Shields, to run its sales and business development in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Shields is leaving Shine, the British TV production firm formed by Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth. Hulu Considers iPad App, Subscriptions NY Times Hulu, the popular and free online video hub, is heading into its third year ready to move beyond computer screens with an app for Apple's iPad. In addition, the profitable site says it is "certainly open to subscriptions as a complement to an ad-supported model." YouTube Redesigns for Longer Viewing CNET YouTube is rolling out a redesign with a cleaner look, in an effort to simplify the site based on user feedback and keep people from leaving. As YouTube spokesperson Chris Dale explains: "People only spend 15 minutes a day on YouTube, but they spend five hours watching TV." AOL Launches Another Lifestyle Web Site WWD Following the recent relaunches of bridal Web site Aisledash and food site KitchenDaily, AOL is rolling out Shelterpop, a site devoted to home design and gardening. Diane Davis, former lifestyles editor for the Associated Press, will oversee Shelterpop. Google Hits Speed Bump as Growth Slows Bloomberg Google's feud with the Chinese government may be the smallest of its challenges as the search leader contends with slowing growth, regulatory scrutiny, a shift in ad spending and the rise of Facebook. Google's "euphoric, love-at-first-sight status has changed." Yahoo to Shutter Publisher Ad Network TechCrunch Yahoo plans to shut down its Publisher Network, the company's Google AdSense counterpart, effective April 30. "For the opportunity to continue earning revenue," Yahoo says, "we suggest using Chitika, a leading ad network that syndicates Yahoo content and search ads. Google: Doors Closing to Mobile Market Sydney MH Google's censorship battle with Beijing may cost the company more than its stake in the regular Internet in China -- the door may be slamming shut on its bid to conquer the mobile Web market, analysts say. "In such a competitive market, Google needed China." Yahoo to Step Up Its News Coverage NY Times Yahoo has recruited nearly a dozen journalists from traditional and online media outlets and opened a bureau in Washington to push into original content and increase the popularity of its online news site. In its foray into news, Yahoo aims to "maintain healthy profit margins." Foursquare Nearing 1 Million Members Wall St Journal Foursquare, the mobile social-gaming startup, has already grown to 750,000 users. "We thought we would be lucky to hit a million users by the end of 2010," says CEO Dennis Crowley. "We'll hit that in a few weeks." Investors are competing for Foursquare's next funding round. Twitter Launches 'Newsier' Home Page Forbes Twitter has unveiled a new home page aimed at putting more of the quips, commentary and news generated by its users up front. The page features automatically-generated "top tweets," a sampling of "suggested sources," and a ticker-tape style display of "trending topics." EBay Fights Craigslist for Classifieds Reuters EBay is rebranding its Kijiji classifieds site as eBay Classifieds, as it strives to replace Craigslist as the leader in classified advertising. "It's game-on between Craigslist and eBay. It's the difference between having a subsidiary trial brand versus leveraging the big brand." Study: Internet More Essential Than TV RBR More people would give up television than the Internet if they had to choose, according to a new survey by Arbitron and Edison Research. The Internet has become the "most essential" medium. For persons under age 45, "the gap towards eliminating TV is much greater." Apple's iPad Sales Are Anyone's Guess Bloomberg Many Wall Street analysts are declining to predict how many iPads Apple will sell this weekend, saying it is unclear how consumers will respond. "This is a big revolutionary device, but it's a new market. A lot of potential consumers are still questioning what it may be used for." Google Fighting for Freedom of Speech CNNMoney Five years after Google opened its Washington office, the Internet giant is playing an increasingly powerful role in public policy debates. Google mainly concentrates on issues such as copyright law. This year, the company has been focused on freedom of speech on the Internet. Apple Offers Video 'Tours' of iPad Apps SF Business Apple continued to flog the imminent release of the iPad by releasing a series of video "guided tours" of its apps on the company's Web site. Eleven different videos give people a chance to see how email, iTunes, photos and other apps will work on the gadget, due out April 3. Google Mobile Partly Blocked in China San Jose Business Google's mobile services are being partially blocked in China, the company says. Google has updated the status of its services since it stopped censoring its Web sites in the nation. Its YouTube and Blogger services have long been completely unavailable in mainland China. AOL Hires Bernstein Analyst for Content AdAge One of Wall Street's more bullish analysts on AOL has joined the company. Jeff Lindsay has left Sanford C. Bernstein and joined AOL as VP for strategy and operations in its content division, reporting to AOL media head David Eun. Lindsay will help "build a strategy." Apple Planning Verizon Version of iPhone NY Post Apple is expected to unveil a version of its smartphone that will work on Verizon's network, ending AT&T's three-year lock on the device. The Verizon version will be one of two new iPhones debuting. An upgrade to the 3G S model currently offered by AT&T is likely this summer. Google CEO Schmidt's Pay is Cut in Half AP Google CEO Eric Schmidt's total compensation fell 52% last year to $245,322 as the Internet search leader cut back on its employee perquisites to help lift its profits during the recession. By Schmidt's request, Google limited his salary to just $1 for the fifth straight year. Apple to Unveil 'iAd' in Challenge to Google MediaPost Even as the buzz builds toward the April 3 ship date of the iPad, Apple is preparing to announce its "next big thing" -- a new personalized, mobile advertising system that could well be called the "iAd." The new ad platform is expected to be a direct challenge to Google. Google Network Eyed by 1,100 Communities AP As of Friday's deadline, more than 1,100 communities have approached Google in hopes of landing one of the ultra-fast broadband networks that the company plans to build in a handful of spots around the United States. Google will announce winners by year's end. Facebook Poaches Another Major Googler AllThingsD David Fischer, VP of global online sales and operations for Google, is taking a job at Facebook with the similar title of VP of advertising and global operations. The move by is yet another in a series of top execs at the search giant to defect to the fast-growing social networking site. Apple is Sold Out of iPads for Launch Day Apple Insider With the iPad standing as arguably the most anticipated gadget of 2010, Apple appears to have sold through its initial supply of device and is no longer promising an April 3 delivery for new orders. The Apple online store indicates that new orders will ship "by April 12." Sony Blocks Beyonce's Page on YouTube E! Online Sony Music is said to have blocked all music video content on pop star Beyonce's YouTube page. The action followed a copyright infringement case involving the singer-actress's label. Beyonce's videos remain available on Vevo, the music video site co-owned by Sony. Facebook, Twitter Used for 'Morning News' San Jose Business About 16% of users of Facebook and Twitter say that the services are how they get their "morning news," according to a study by Retrevo. That rate rises to 23% among owners of Apple's iPhone. About half say they check the two social networks first thing in the morning. Lady Gaga Sets Online Video Views Record NME Pop star Lady Gaga has become the first music artist in history to have her music videos watched a total of 1 billion times online. The singer managed to reach the landmark figure with data for just three of her singles, "Poker Face," "Bad Romance" and "Just Dance." Thrillist Launches First International Edition Times Thrillist.com, the e-mail newsletter for young male professionals, is launching its first international edition in London. The startup is already available in 15 U.S. cities. "We loved GQ and Esquire," says co-founder Ben Lerer. "But they didn't provide local knowledge for young guys." YouTube a 'Wonderful Service,' Viacom Says Bloomberg Viacom, which is suing YouTube for $1 billion for copyright infringement, has "nothing against" the video-sharing site, says CEO Philippe Dauman. "It's a wonderful service." Viacom's issue is that "the content we produce was being uploaded without a license." Google Ads to Follow Users Across the Web TechCrunch Google is launching what it calls advertising "retargeting" for AdWords customers. If someone visits a page on an advertiser's Web site or YouTube channel, Google can now show a related follow-up ad to just that person when he or she visits another site displaying Google ads. Twitter's Business Model is Coming Soon Wall St Journal Twitter watchers who have been waiting to hear how the microblogging site plans to make money will get an answer "soon," according to co-founder Biz Stone. Plans will be revealed in about a month, he says, adding that there will be ways to make money other than advertising. Apple, Amazon at War Over E-Book Market MarketWatch Amazon and Apple are facing off in a war over the nascent electronic book market, as the new iPad makes its debut April 3. Amazon's Kindle is facing "a barrage of attacks," analysts say. "Amazon's premium valuation leaves it vulnerable to rapid share price decline." Google China Exit Seen as 'Deliberate Plot' Bloomberg Google's withdrawal from China is a "deliberate plot" to promote the "intrusive strategy" of the U.S. government, writes Ding Yifan, a researcher with China's cabinet, in the China Daily newspaper. Also: China Unicom is boycotting Google, which may signal a fallout. YouTube Pre-Roll Ads Get Double-Digit CPMs TBI Pre-roll ads on YouTube are now generating rates of $10 to $15 CPMs and daily ad buys on its home page range from $200,000 to $300,000, according to TBI Research. Also, overlay ads are getting $8 to $10 CPMs. Owner Google stands to capture a lot of this growth. TMZ Ex-Staffer Sues Over Office 'Drugging' Courthouse Reporter-producer Christian Shostle claims in a lawsuit that TMZ fired him after he complained about having "to endure working on assignments with co-workers who were drinking and using illegal drugs." The Time Warner celebrity gossip site "did nothing to stop the illegal drug use." AOL Launches Patch.org to Fund Local News WebProNews AOL is launching Patch.org, a charitable foundation to support access to local news in underserved communities. Patch.org will partner with community foundations and other groups to launch sites and bring local news to communities that lack adequate news media. Twitter Hacker Behind Blog Leak Arrested SF Business French police have arrested a hacker who sabotaged the Twitter accounts of both President Obama and Britney Spears. The 25-year-old used the pseudonym "Hacker Croll" -- the same pseudonym that was used to leak internal Twitter documents last July to TechCrunch. Facebook Linked to an Increase in Syphilis Telegraph Facebook has contributed to a resurgence in syphilis, claims a study by the director of public health in Teesside, England. "There has been a fourfold increase in the number of syphilis cases. Social networking sites are making it easier for people to meet up for casual sex." LinkedIn Eyes Dublin for International HQ Irish Times LinkedIn, the business social networking site, plans to base its new international headquarters in Dublin. The Silicon Valley company says now it the right time for the move: "Being based in Dublin enables us to co-ordinate our business growth across Europe and beyond." Google's Hong Kong Site Blocked in China WaPo Google on Monday stopped censoring search results on its site in China and began redirecting Chinese users to its search engine based in Hong Kong. As of Tuesday morning in Beijing, China started blocking results for sensitive searches on the Google site in Hong Kong. Microsoft Testing a 'Twitter for Business' ZDNet Microsoft is continuing to look into ways to make social computing services part of business users' lives with a new pilot program for something called OfficeTalk. The new vehicle is said to offer the "base capabilities of microblogging to a business environment." YouTube Ends Social Video Sharing Feature CNET YouTube has canceled an experimental feature called RealTime, which brought an "as-it-happens" social aspect to Google's video-sharing site. The invitation-only feature never got a wide roll-out, and some users complained that it didn't really make using YouTube any different. Apple Adding Publishers to E-Bookstore NY Times Apple has signed up Perseus Books and Workman Publishing to sell e-versions of their books on the forthcoming iPad device. The deals with the two indie publishers come as Amazon.com puts pressure on publishers to refrain from signing agreements with Apple. Sony Cuts E-Reader Price as iPad Debuts Wall St Journal Sony says it is cutting the price on its entry-level e-book reader, dubbed the Pocket Reader, to $169 -- perhaps the first in a coming price war for the devices. Sony's $30 discount only lasts through April 4, just in time for the arrival in stores of Apple's $499 and up iPad a day later. ComScore: Apple iPad Awareness is 'High' Wall St Journal Apple's iPad device isn't due to ship until April 3, but a significant number of consumers are already thinking about buying it, according to a survey by comScore. Some 15% of the respondents say they are "seriously considering" buying the iPad in the next three months. Diller's IAC Wins Fraud Lawsuit Dismissal Reuters A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp of securities fraud for making false and misleading statements that artificially inflated the Internet company's stock price. The fraud claims were "too thin." Hulu 'Subverting' Media Owners' Ad Efforts Business Insider Hulu's advertising sales team is said to be "actively subverting" the sales efforts of its parent companies that are also trying to sell ads for their shows on the video site. Hulu is also building "different, more innovative" ad products than its parents like Fox, NBC and ABC. Google China Withdrawal May Be Permanent Bloomberg Google would probably be unable to return to China should it withdraw from the market instead of abiding by the country's censorship laws, says Peter Lui, a former exec with the Internet giant. Google may have "burnt bridges." There is "no way Google can ever come back." Twitter, Facebook Growth Impeded Overseas Mercury News Facebook and Twitter may be the masters of social media, but their future growth is imperiled by increasingly aggressive censorship overseas in authoritarian countries such as China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Control over information is a "very high priority" in some nations. Facebook: More News Loyalty Than Google eWeek Facebook users are more loyal to news Web sites than are visitors from Google News, according to HitWise. The finding suggests that the leading social networking site could be a viable touchstone for advertisers. "If readers keep coming back, they will see more ads." Amazon.com in Talks to Alter E-Book Prices Bloomberg Amazon.com is said to be in talks to change some prices of Kindle e-books by no later than the April 3 release of Apple's iPad. Amazon is talking to publishers individually about giving them more control over prices. Publishers say they want to be able to set pricing. Apple Races to Strike Content Deals for iPad Wall St Journal With just weeks before Apple releases the iPad, the tech giant is racing to secure content for the tablet. But lining up television, newspaper and magazine content deals has proven difficult as some potential collaborators in traditional media weigh the potential threats. Facebook, Twitter 'Addictive,' Survey Says SF Chronicle Some 48% of social media users check or update Facebook and/or Twitter after they go to bed, and 56% feel compelled to check Facebook at least once a day, according to a survey by Retrevo. "You have to wonder if these people aren't suffering from some sort of addiction." Google May Announce China Pullout Monday Bloomberg Google is expected to announce Monday that it will shut down its operations in China on April 10, says a report in China Business News. Google is threatening to leave China amid a dispute over censorship. A pullout means "there is no way Google can ever come back." YouTube Will 'Cease to Exist' if Viacom Wins Ars Technica Execs at YouTube owner Google admit that the video site's business model is "completely sustained by pirated content," according to newly released documents in the Viacom-YouTube copyright lawsuit. Also, YouTube "will cease to exist in its current form," if Viacom wins. Google, Intel, Sony Develop 'Google TV' NY Times Google, Intel and Sony are teaming up to develop "Google TV," a platform to bring social networks and apps into the living room through a new generation of televisions and set-top boxes. "Google wants to be everywhere the Internet is so they can put ads there." YouTube Video Upload Rate Is Increasing AFP Google's YouTube says that 24 hours worth of video are being uploaded to the video-sharing site every minute. It's "a big achievement," says YouTube exec Hunter Walker. YouTube is gradually adding full-length television shows and movies in a bid to attract advertisers. EA to Release Online Tiger Woods Game Reuters Electronic Arts will launch the final version of its online golf game named after Tiger Woods during the same week that the golf pro returns to the sport for the Masters tournament in April. The game will include a free-to-play element, but also will layer on other fees. Microsoft to Launch Yahoo Shine Rival NY Times Yahoo Shine, the online women's site edited by former Jane magazine editor in chief Brandon Holley, will soon get a new rival. In the next few months, Microsoft will launch its own women's site. The 2-year-old Shine is the third-largest women's destination on the Web. Yahoo Buying Fantasy Sports Company AP Yahoo is acquiring Citizen Sports, a company offering fantasy leagues for sports such as football, soccer and basketball that fans can manage online at social-networking sites and through mobile apps. Citizen Sports will boost Yahoo's social-networking offerings. AOL Eyes $10 Million for Local Content MarketWatch AOL, which is attempting a dramatic revamp after being spun out of Time Warner late last year, says it will dedicate up to $10 million for an internal venture-capital fund aimed at "local content" services. Local is "an untapped market," says AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Yelp Hit With Third Charge of Extortion SF Chronicle Renaissance Furniture Restoration in San Francisco is filing the third class-action complaint against Yelp. The cases all allege that the popular review site extorts companies by manipulating ratings or visibility based on whether or not the businesses pay to advertise. TheStreet.com Probed by SEC Over Sale Reuters TheStreet.com, the investment news site founded by Jim Cramer, is being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The probe is over the way TheStreet.com recorded revenue at an online subsidiary called Promotions.com, which it sold in December. Newser to Let Site Users Aggregate News Newser Newser, the news aggregation site launched by Michael Wolff, is adding a service called Newser by Users, allowing visitors to write their own news summaries and publish them on the site's home page. "Readers will have an entirely unmediated view of the news," says Wolff. YouTube Launches Program for Indie Bands Wired Independent musicians who are accepted by YouTube's new "Musicians Wanted" feature could be able to quit their day jobs if their music videos draw enough views through a new partner program. Artists will make money when their YouTube videos are embedded on external sites. Google's YouTube Seeks Small Advertisers Vator Google, aiming to transform YouTube into a profit powerhouse, is introducing a new way for small advertisers to take advantage of in-video overlay ads. Google's display ad builder service now offers tools to build overlay ads, which are seen as ideal for small businesses. Facebook, Google Surfed During TV Events Nielsen Americans are getting into the habit of going online while watching major television events, according to Nielsen. Viewers of this year's broadcast of the Academy Awards who were also surfing the Web visited Facebook, Google or Yahoo, a trend also seen during the Super Bowl. Twitter Sends Little Traffic to News Sites Hitwise Twitter doesn't come close to Facebook or Google News when it comes to where people actually get their news, according to Hitwise. Twitter accounts for a mere 0.14% of upstream visits to news and media sites. The Huffington Post receives the most Twitter media referrals. MySpace Is Not for Sale, News Corp Says Barron's News Corp. is denying reports that it wants to sell or spin-off MySpace, the now-declining social network. Investment bank CODE Advisors is said to be "out pitching" MySpace to potential investors. The company says: "News Corp. is committed to MySpace and is not seeking a buyer." IGN Layoffs Hit All Divisions of Media Firm Joystiq News Corp.'s videogame and entertainment outfit IGN is laying off staffers across all divisions, as the company is "feeling the effects of the economy," according to an internal staff memo. IGN remains No. 1 "in games and men's lifestyle," says chief Roy Bahat, and is "growing." Yahoo Appoints Top Editor for News Blog Observer Bookforum editor Chris Lehmann is joining Yahoo News as the managing editor of its nascent news blog. Yahoo is expected to launch a spiffed-up version of the site later this year. Recent estimates put Yahoo News as the single-highest-trafficked news site on the Internet. AOL Hires Conde Nasties for New Blogs WWD AOL is tapping into Conde Nast's shuttered Gourmet to help staff its new Web site KitchenDaily. The site will be edited by Gourmet alum Cheryl Brown. Also, former editors from the now-defunct Modern Bride and Elegant Bride are joining AOL's new bridal blog AisleDash. Facebook Bests Google as Top U.S. Site Wall St Journal Facebook passed Google last week as the most visited Web site in the United States, according to Hitwise. Visits to the social-networking site made up 7.07% of all Web visits compared with 7.03% for Google, marking the first time the search giant was bested since 2007. Google: Mobile Ad Rates Will Pass PC's Reuters Google expects the rates that companies pay for search advertising on mobile phones to surpass the rates of its existing PC-based ad business, thanks to the growing popularity of smartphones. GPS data can create more "relevant" online ads, says Google VP Vic Gundotra. Yahoo Loses Top Exec to Demand Media Bloomberg Yahoo's Joanne Bradford, a senior VP who oversees North American revenue and market development, is leaving to join online-content provider Demand Media. Bradford will be chief revenue officer at Demand Media, which develops content for social Web sites on several topics. Twitter Unveils @ Platform, Not Ad Platform NY Post Instead of a long-awaited plan to sell advertising on Twitter, CEO Evan Williams is unveiling @anywhere, a feature that will allow other Web sites to link to Twitter feeds. For instance, a reader will be able to follow a journalist's tweets directly on the publication's Web site. Apple iPad Pre-Orders Said to Hit 152,000 NY Post Roughly 152,000 Apple iPads have been pre-ordered since Friday morning, according to analyst estimates. Initially, pre-orders for the new device were measured at 25,000 per hour, but dropped down to 1,000 orders per hour over the weekend. The iPad is due out April 3. Twitter Working on Chinese Sign-Up Page AP Twitter is working on a way to allow Chinese users to sign up to the social-networking site, even though access to the microblogging service remains blocked in the country. Twitter is "hard at work" on allowing users to register in Chinese, according to co-founder Jack Dorsey. TheStreet.com Lost $45.5 Million in 2009 TheStreet TheStreet.com, the financial news site founded by Jim Cramer, is reporting that it lost $45.5 million in 2009 after a housecleaning that included the sale of its unprofitable Promotions.com marketing unit. CEO Daryl Otte says the company is now "very well positioned for success." Glam Media to Launch Web Site in France SF Business Glam Media, the fashion and beauty Web business aimed at women, is setting up shop in France six weeks after raising $50 million in new funding. Jean-Pierre Levieux and Orianne Garcia will run the French site. Levieux helped Microsoft launch its MSN portal in France. Google Plans to Shut Down Chinese Site FT Google is drawing up plans for the closure of its Chinese search engine and is "99.9%" certain to go ahead as talks over censorship with Chinese authorities reach an apparent impasse. Google is likely to take some time to follow through with the plan as it seeks an orderly closure. Facebook to Open Office in Southern India Reuters Facebook will open an office in India, joining a long list of international firms that have looked to tap a skilled workforce that provides support services at relatively cheap wages. Facebook's office in Hyderabad will support users, advertisers and developers. Apple iPad to Bookmark, Read Text Aloud San Jose Business Apple is releasing more details about its new iPad as it starts taking orders for the tablet computer. The iPad will remember where you left off reading and if you touch and hold a word it will look up the meaning for you. Also, screen-reading technology will read any page out loud. AOL Makes Big Bet on 'Bionic Journalism' TC AOL's new Seed project is building a three legged stool to create a huge amount of original content: part professional, part freelance and part aggregated. "I call it Bionic Journalism," says chief Saul Hansell. "We are trying to take the best of a machine and a person." Digg to Get More Personal, 'Wicked Fast' CNN Digg, the popular news-sharing site, is getting an overhaul that will personalize results, dramatically expand content and make the site "wicked fast," according to its makers. The changes could boost daily submissions from 20,000 to millions, says Digg CEO Jay Adelson. Apple iPad Pre-Sale Kicks Off on Friday PC World The world is one step closer to holding the Apple iPad in its shaking hands: Consumers can pre-order iPads on the Apple Web site as of 8:30 a.m. ET Friday morning. The iPad starts at $499 for the Wi-Fi-only model. Pre-orders will only be available for U.S. customers. Google Makes Move Into Local Shopping ZDNet Google is making a big move as a local shopping inventory gatekeeper. The Internet giant says it will offer inventory checks on local stores to see if products are available. The program has already enlisted some big retailers, including Sears, Best Buy and Pottery Barn. U.S. May Oppose Google's AdMob Deal San Jose Business The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is reportedly preparing to oppose Google's proposed acquisition of AdMob, a mobile display ad technology provider. The agency is said to be gathering sworn depositions from the search giant's competitors and advertisers. Smartphones Shake Up Content Debate Reuters Media companies longing to bring a paid-for culture to the Internet might get what they want if they focus on smartphones, observers say. "Mobile Web adoption is growing eight times faster than the first wave of PC Internet adoption," notes Google CEO Eric Schmidt. News Corp May Sell MySpace, Source Says Mergermarket News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch resists letting go of MySpace because such a move would be seen as capitulating in the social media market, says a source familiar with the company. However, "the business has a price tag, so its fate will also depend on an attractive offer." Facebook Exec to Join Board of Disney LA Business Disney, which held its annual meeting on Wednesday in San Antonio, named Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to its board of directors. The move gives Disney access to a major name in social networking, which will likely play a larger role in the company's future marketing efforts. Google CEO: Mobile to Reshape Internet AP Google CEO Eric Schmidt says mobile smartphones are transforming the Internet. Devices are "clearly going to win" the battle with traditional computers. He also defends his company's growing dominance online. Google's rivals "have an incentive for us not to be successful." YouTube Mobile Ads Aim for Trendsetters WebProNews Google is launching advertisements on the mobile version of YouTube. At launch, YouTube says it will "immediately provide one of the largest audiences for an ad campaign anywhere on the mobile Web." YouTube "can deliver a coveted demographic of tech-savvy trendsetters." Twitter: More News Feed Than Social Media CNNMoney Twitter may be a fast-growing social network, but most of its 50 million accounts merely follow other users rather than post their own messages, says a study by Web security firm Barracuda Networks. Twitter is "becoming more of a news feed than a social network." Facebook Brand 'Damaged' by Tabloid Story Guardian Facebook is threatening to sue the U.K.'s Daily Mail for damages after the newspaper claimed in an article that teen-age girls who create profiles on the social networking site could be approached "within seconds" by older men. Facebook says: "Brand damage has been done." AOL Chief Targets Billions in Online Ads Bloomberg AOL is "laser focused" on getting a share of an estimated $20 billion gap in online advertising, says CEO Tim Armstrong. The company is targeting video and mobile-phone content and hiring journalists to create content. Also, AOL plans to dispose of more assets in 2010. Google, Viacom Set for 'Embarrassment' AllThingsD A federal judge has ruled that both sides must unseal many of the documents in the slow-moving copyright fight between Viacom and Google. A good chunk of the files should be available within the next 10 days. There may be data in the files embarrassing to both sides. Yahoo May Continue to 'Lose Its Edge' MarketWatch Yahoo's competitive position is weakening, according to research by Morningstar analyst Larry Witt. Although Yahoo remains popular, "user growth has slowed as audiences have begun to fragment, akin to the rise of cable networks at the expense of broadcast television." MySpace Revamp Aims to Ensure Survival USA Today MySpace is tweaking its service to appeal more to the under-35 crowd. The fading News Corp. social network plans to remain relevant as a scaled-down Web portal for music and entertainment news. MySpace will still "be here in 10 years," vows co-president Jason Hirschorn. Facebook Allows Users to Share Location New York Times Facebook is said to be planning to unveil a new location-based feature in late April. The new service is expected to allow users to share their location information with friends. Of Facebook's 400 million users, about 100 million of them access the service from mobile devices. Google, Dish Test Service to Search TV Wall Street Journal Google is testing a new service with Dish Network that allows users to search content from Web videos and personalize a lineup of television shows. With the test, Google moves into a crowded field of companies that have been trying for years to marry the Web and TV. TiVo Subscriber Losses Accelerate in 2009 Multichannel News TiVo may have scored a major legal victory against Dish Network last week -- worth $300 million or more in damages -- but the DVR company is still struggling to retain subscribers as it lost 730,000 over the last 12 months, a decline of 22% for the period. Hulu to Add Hundreds of Clips from NFL SportsBusiness Journal The NFL is expanding its operations online by adding the football league's content to Hulu, the video portal owned by NBC, Fox, ABC and others. The content from NFL Network and NFL Films, encompassing some 600 clips, ranges from team highlights to Super Bowl classics. YouTube a 'Legal Liability,' Googler Says CNET Google, in its $1 billion copyright lawsuit filed by Viacom, has asked a federal court to keep documents in the case under seal. Documents reportedly show that former Google exec David Eun advised management in 2006 to not acquire YouTube, believing it to be "a legal liability." Facebook CEO Named Media Person of Year Adweek Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be honored as 2010 Media Person of the Year at the 57th annual Cannes Lions Advertising Festival in June. The award honors an influential figure in media. (I Want Media's Media Person of the Year honored the Twitter Guys for 2009.) Sex.com Internet Domain Name for Sale Reuters Sex.com, often touted as one of the most valuable Internet domain names, is due to head to the auction block on March 18. DOM Partners, a New Jersey lender that backed a 2006 purchase of the domain name for $14 million, is foreclosing on the Internet property. Yahoo Bests NBC, ESPN in Web Olympics San Francisco Business Yahoo Sports was the No. 1 U.S. online destination for Olympics coverage, beating out NBC and ESPN, according to comScore. Yahoo's site dedicated to Olympics coverage attracted 32 million visitors, making it the largest online audience for the Winter Olympics. Google Eyes Microsoft in DocVerse Buy San Jose Business Google is acquiring DocVerse, a start-up that provides Microsoft Office plug-in software for collaboration online, in a deal said to be valued at about $25 million. DocVerse is to be combined with Google Apps to create a bridge between Microsoft Office and Google Apps. Facebook CEO Said to Hack Into Emails SAI Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg hacked into the email accounts of both rivals and journalists in the early days of the social network, according to a report by Silicon Alley Insider. Facebook issued a statement dismissing the story as "dated allegations." Yelp Hit With Second Class Action Suit San Francisco Business A second proposed class action lawsuit against Yelp is being filed in federal court. A San Diego area day-spa owner is claiming that the review site deleted positive comments she solicited from customers about her business after she refused to advertise. Facebook Value Much Higher Than Twitter San Jose Business Facebook is worth almost 10 times as much as Twitter, according to a valuation by SharesPost. The index pegs Facebook's worth at $11.5 billion, while Twitter's value is said to be $1.44 billion. Other companies with values estimated at more than $1 billion include LinkedIn. YouTube Adds Captions to Online Videos InfoWeek YouTube is adding automated caption generation in an effort to make the site's massive store of video content more accessible. Any video created with a clear audio track can be captioned automatically, thanks to speech-to-text algorithms provided by owner Google. Sony Readies Gadgets to Take On Apple Wall Street Journal Threatened by Apple's stable of portable devices, Sony is developing a new lineup of handheld products, including a smart phone capable of downloading and playing videogames. Sony is also developing a portable e-reader designed to rival Apple's coming iPad. Web News Copyright Crackdown Coming Newsosaur A coalition of traditional and digital publishers is said to be preparing to launch the first-ever concerted crackdown on online copyright pirates. Silicon Valley start-up Attributor will help with the effort, which could ask hosting services to take down pirate sites. Google Exec: PCs Will Soon Be 'Irrelevant' Silicon Republic Within three years, personal computers will give way to mobile devices as the primary screen from which most people will consume information and entertainment, says Google Europe boss John Herlihy. "In Japan, most research is done today on smart phones, not PCs.” Apple Wants Court to Block Google Phones InfoWeek Apple wants the U.S. International Trade Commission to block the importation of Taiwan-based HTC's Google-branded mobile phones. The HTC phones infringe on iPhone's technology, Apple claims. "Competitors should create their own technology, not steal ours." Twitter, Facebook See Big Gains in Mobile WebProNews Twitter and Facebook access via mobile browsers has grown by triple-digits in the past year, according to comScore. Access to Facebook via mobile browser climbed 112% in the past year, while Twitter soared 347%. "Social media is a natural sweet spot for mobile." Facebook CEO in No Rush to Go Public Wall Street Journal Both Silicon Valley and Wall Street agree that Facebook's eventual IPO will make founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg the world's richest twenty-something. But Zuck says: "We are definitely in no rush." Facebook execs say that revenues for 2010 could reach $2 billion. MySpace's Dwindling Traffic May Worsen Daily Finance The "executive dashboard" that MySpace execs use internally to track the social network's performance shows that the number of active users is considerably smaller than the 100 million-plus cited publicly. Also, the rate of user decline appears to be accelerating. Hulu May Be Forced to Change Business Model New York Post Viacom's decision to pull two of its most popular shows from Hulu underscores the video site's vulnerability. To appease media owners, Hulu may morph into more of a platform, where content creators have their own video players that can be embedded into the site. AOL Sees Departure of Another Top Exec TechCrunch Another exec is leaving AOL, as CEO Tim Armstrong continues to restructure. The latest exec to head for the door is nine-year veteran Mike Rich, the senior VP in charge of AOL Entertainment. He joins a growing list of the old guard departing the Internet company. RealNetworks to Stop Selling DVD Copier CNET RealNetworks has settled lawsuits with six movie studios that sought to stop it from selling technology that allowed consumers to copy DVDs to their computers. Disney, Sony and others claimed in a lawsuit that the DVD-copying software violated copyright law. Twitter's 'Shorty Awards' Honor @maddow AFP The Shorty Awards, held in New York on Wednesday, recognized excellence in the use of Twitter. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow was a joint winner in the journalist category. The awards, which do not have any official link to Twitter, were sponsored by the Knight Foundation. Tweet This: Men More Active in Social Media Boston Business Men are more likely to tweet on a regular basis than women, according to a report on social media by Liberty Mutual. Men are more active in social media "across the board." Men (57%) are more likely than women (50%) to have more than one social networking account. Consumers Less likely to Pay for Web News AFP Consumers in Australia are more likely to pay for movies online (51%) than to pay to read newspapers online (28%), according to research by Nielsen. "Attitudes on paying for content are still quite fragmented and highlight how discriminating Internet audiences can be." New York Aims to Become Internet Mecca CNN New York City, home to many media giants, is becoming a launch pad for hundreds of Internet start-ups, many in social media. Twitter was "inspired by my time in New York," says co-founder Jack Dorsey. New York City is offering low-cost office space to promising firms. Google Patents Location-Based Advertising V3.co.uk Google has been granted a patent for the use of location information in advertisements to increase the relevancy to users. The patent could affect start-ups that use location-based ads as a vital source of revenue, analysts say. "It could have a chilling effect on the industry." Microsoft Won't Rule Out Buying Twitter CNBC Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, when asked whether his company would be interested in acquiring Twitter, didn't dismiss the idea all together: "It's not clear to me. I would hate to not have that partnership. Whether we need to own the company is less clear." Yahoo CEO Eyes New Hires, Acquisitions Mercury News CEO Carol Bartz, marking Yahoo's 15th anniversary, says the company is moving into a growth mode and seeing increased activity from advertisers. Yahoo expects to hire employees and even make some limited acquisitions. "We're focused on what acquisitions we should do." Facebook May Top $1 Billion in Revenue San Francisco Business Facebook revenue is rising rapidly and could top $1 billion this year, according to the online publication Inside Facebook. The social networking behemoth is estimated to have raked in $225 million in brand advertising in 2009. Facebook declines to comment on the report. TiVo Unveils Set-Top Box for Web Video Reuters TiVo is introducing a television set-top box that simplifies finding videos from Web outlets like Netflix and YouTube in addition to local program listings. The launch of the $300 "Premiere" box is seen as an effort by the company to help differentiate its DVRs from generics. Viacom Yanks Stewart, Colbert from Hulu New York Times In the first major fracture between television show owners and the wildly popular Hulu, Viacom will remove "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," "The Colbert Report" and other Comedy Central programs from the video site. Viacom and Hulu "could not agree on a price." AOL Invests $50 Million in Hyperlocal Blogs TechCrunch On the heels of the announcement that AOL is selling off Buy.at, its affiliate marketing network, the company says it plans to invest up to $50 million in its hyperlocal news effort Patch in 2010. The network of local news blogs has plans to roll out to "hundreds" of communities. Apple iPad on Schedule for March Release Wired Despite rumors earlier this week that tight inventories might delay the release of the iPad by a month, an Apple spokeswoman says that the new computer device is still on schedule to ship by late March. Apple is yet to announce the iPad's official release date. Google Makes Yet Another Acquisition Reuters / MW Google is acquiring the online photo-editing site Picnik, as the Internet giant continues with a deal binge, making three acquisitions in about three weeks. Also: For Google, "there's really no recession," says CFO Patrick Pichette. The mood at Google "continues to be electric." Yahoo Has High Expectations for Video Mediaweek Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz pledges to work more closely and efficiently with the media industry as the Web giant hits its 15-year anniversary. Video and monetizing streams will play a huge role going forward, she says. "It's video, video, video as far as I'm concerned." Hulu Has 'Dream' for 'Idol'-like Success Reuters "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller will launch his latest venture Tuesday on the video site Hulu. The new multimedia interactive reality show, "If I Can Dream," follows five aspiring artists bidding for stardom in Hollywood. It will be Hulu's first recurring show. Huffington Offers Tips on Digital Survival Ad Age Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington is taking more jabs at old media as she shares her plan to navigate the media world's digital future. Surviving in the digital age, she says, means constant reevaluation. "What worked yesterday might not work today." Dan Abrams Aims to Become Web Mogul WWD Former MSNBC host Dan Abrams is aiming to become an Internet mogul. His latest site, the fashion-focused Styleite.com, will go live March 15. The fashion community lags behind on the Web, he claims. Next up is a sports site, SportsGrid.com, launching later this month. Facebook Users Prefer Broadcast Media Hitwise Much of Facebook's news traffic is directed to broadcast media Web sites, such as the Weather Channel, CNN and MSNBC. Meanwhile, Google News sends more traffic to print media Web sites, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Apple's iPad Release May Face a Delay Fortune A "manufacturing bottleneck" is said to be affecting the production of Apple's new iPad tablet computer, which is scheduled to go on sale before the end of the month. An unspecified production problem at the iPad's manufacturer "will likely limit the launch." Google Predicts Mixture of Free, Pay Content BBC News Are people ready to pay for online news? "There are many things which are charged for online," observes Peter Barron, head of communications for Google in Britain. He adds: "We think the future is going to be a mixture of paid-for content behind pay walls and free content." Twitter Ads to Be in 140 or Fewer Characters AllThingsD Twitter's long-awaited advertising platform is expected to be tied to searches in a manner resembling Google's ad format. Ads on the microblogging service, which may be unveiled in the first half of this year, reportedly will be in text of 140 or fewer characters. E-Reader Devices May See Price Drop to $150 Bloomberg A new chip will help drive down the price of electronic book readers to less than $150 this year, according to Freescale Semiconductor, whose products power about 90% of such devices. Amazon and Sony, both Freescale customers, dominate the market for e-tablets. Google Patent to Split Print Media Articles BNET A patent application by Google, filed in August 2008 and only made public recently, suggests that the Internet giant is seeking a way to split print magazines and newspapers into individual articles for delivering separately. It potentially sends Google into conflict with media law. Internet Bests Newspapers, Radio for News BBC News The Internet has surpassed newspapers and radio in popularity as a news platform among Americans, says a new survey by the Pew Research Center. The Internet now ranks just behind television. News aggregators such as Google News are "most commonly used." Facebook Offered $1.4 Million by Texas San Francisco Chronicle The state of Texas is offering Facebook $1.4 million to locate a new 200-employee sales and operations office in Austin. Facebook is mulling several cities for the office, which would be the social network's first expansion outside of its headquarters in Palo Alto. YouTube to Go Disco with Music Feature CNET YouTube is testing a new music feature designed to entice users to stay on the site longer. YouTube Disco enables people to key an artist name or song title into a search field, and then it creates a playlist for them. Each clip plays automatically with no prompting. Twitter Embraced by Fortune 500 Firms Adweek Some 35% of Fortune 500 corporations are active on Twitter, according to a study by the Society for New Communications Research. The likes of Wal-Mart and General Electric "consistently post on Twitter." Also, 22% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate blog. iPad Could Put Apple in Charge of News Wired Apple last week began removing thousands of apps containing "overtly sexual content." The ban could become a concern for newspaper and magazine publishers that are developing apps for the new iPad device. Apps by news providers could be "capriciously censored." Facebook Secures a Patent for News Feed Mashable A new patent is being awarded to Facebook for the news feed. The world's largest social network could use it to protect its intellectual property and force Google, MySpace and Twitter -- other companies with news feeds -- to change or take down their technologies. Nintendo to Offer E-Book Reading Device Bloomberg Nintendo, maker of the DSi XL handheld video-game device, is adding a book-reader similar to gadgets from Apple, Amazon and Sony. "It's not really about trying to take on the e-book market," says a Nintendo rep. "It's just one more way to enjoy your device." Facebook Seeking Growth in Arab World Associated Press Facebook is teaming with Middle Eastern digital advertising firm Connect Ads as it looks to capitalize on growth in the Arab world. Facebook says it hopes the deal will give it better exposure to advertisers in a region where online marketing is in its early stages. Yelp Reps Accused of Extortion in Lawsuit CNET Yelp, the business reviews site, amounts to an "extortion scheme," according to a new class action lawsuit. Two law firms and a Long Beach, Calif., veterinary hospital claim that Yelp reps asked for payment in exchange for the removal of negative reviews. Apple iPad: High Pre-Release Demand SJ Business / CNET Demand for Apple's new iPad tablet device is greater than what the iPhone saw before it was released, suggests a survey from market research firm RBC. Also: The iPad will be sold at locations including Best Buy, says Apple COO Tim Cook. The device is due out in late March. Hulu to Premiere Series by 'Idol' Creator Zap2it "American Idol' creator Simon Fuller and Hulu plan to take Web television to a whole new level with the original series, "If I Can Dream," premiering March 2 on the video site. The "reality-ish" show revolves around five young people chasing their dreams in Los Angeles. MySpace Tests New 'In-Stream' Ad Unit Mediaweek MySpace is testing a new "In-Stream" advertising unit -- an ad that appears directly within a user's personal "stream" of friend activities and status updates. The new ad tactic is designed to harness the share-with-your-friends, viral nature of the online social network. Google Animosity Heats Up in Europe Associated Press Three Google execs are being convicted of privacy violations in a Milan court for allowing a video of an abused autistic boy to be posted online. The three are to receive a suspended six-month sentence. Also: Google is being accused of anticompetitive behavior in Europe. Yahoo Partners with Twitter for Tweets Reuters Yahoo plans to integrate Twitter into its collection of Web sites, as the company seeks to enhance the appeal of its properties with social networking. The partnership will let users view tweets within Yahoo sites as well as publish their own without ever leaving Yahoo. Google: We'll Act as Media 'Go-Between' News & Tech Google would be happy to serve as a go-between for news publishers and consumers, says Chris Gaither, a spokesperson for Google News. "The goal of Google News is not to generate revenue" for Google, he adds. "The goal is to get people to publishers' sites." MySpace New Focus on Contend Discovery Telegraph News Corp.'s digital execs, reaffirming the company's commitment to MySpace after the surprise exit of CEO Owen Van Natta, say that the new focus at the social network will be on discovery tools. The new push will allow MySpace to recommend relevant content to users. Wal-Mart to Acquire Vudu Movie Service New York Times Wal-Mart is acquiring Vudu, a Silicon Valley startup whose online movie service is built into an increasing number of high-definition televisions and Blu-ray players. The deal could allow Wal-Mart to one day sell a variety of other merchandise through television sets. Amazon May Be Developing a 'KindlePad' Barron's Is Amazon planning to transform the Kindle e-reader into a tablet PC like the Apple iPad? Some analysts think that might be the real story behind a new licensing deal between Amazon and Microsoft: "The Kindle franchise will be able to leverage Microsoft's IP portfolio." TMZ in Lawsuit Over Leaked Interview Hollywood Reporter TMZ is being sued for airing allegedly stolen footage of an interview with Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe soon after the death of the superstar performer last July. The case is expected to put the Time Warner site's news operation under the microscope. IAB: Future of Branded Web Sites Unclear Mediaweek The future of ad-supported branded Web sites is very much up in the air, suggest speakers at the Interactive Advertising Bureau's annual meeting. The ongoing commidization threat from ad networks and demand-side buying platforms is raising "scary questions." Twitter Planning Launch of Ad Platform MediaPost Twitter plans to launch an advertising platform "within the next month or so." So says Anamitra Banerji, head of product management and monetization at the microblogging service. Twitter will make its ads "relevant and useful, so the user doesn't think of it as an ad." Nielsen: Twitter, Facebook Use Up 82% CNET We're spending a lot more time tweeting and Facebooking, according to Nielsen. The average social-networking user around the world spent more than five and a half hours on sites like Facebook and Twitter in December. That marks an 82% jump from December 2008. Google Unveils DoubleClick for Publishers WebProNews Google is announcing a new DoubleClick for Publishers, a service it refers to as "the next generation of ad serving technology." The new release includes more detailed reporting and forecasting data, with "sophisticated algorithms" that promise to improve ad performance. Hulu May Join Apple iPad as Pay Service AllThingsD Hulu could come to the Apple iPad. The most likely scenario is one in which access to the free video site comes as part of a subscription package. Hulu's broadcast owners -- ABC, Fox and NBC -- have repeatedly said they want to introduce a premium version. YouTube Expands Video Rental Program NewTeeVee YouTube last month rolled out a service that allowed users to rent independent films from the Sundance Film Festival. Despite weak demand for those films, YouTube is expanding the program with niche content providers, including FineCooking and GolfLink.com. Internet Will Make You Smarter, Experts Say Reuters Many Web users and experts believe the Internet will make people smarter in the next 10 years, according to a survey released by Pew Research Center. Craigslist founder Craig Newmark observes: "People are already using Google as an adjunct to their own memory." Apple Purging Adult Content from iTunes InfoWeek Apple is purging some adult-themed content from its iTunes App Store at the urging of both customers and developers. "Whenever we receive customer complaints about objectionable content we review them. If we find these apps contain inappropriate material we remove them." Tiger Woods 'Media Culpa' Lures Millions AP Dozens of broadcast networks, cable news outlets and online streams carried Tiger Woods's 13-1/2 minute scripted statement live on Friday. Because Woods' remarks were carried on a workday, many U.S. viewers watched him from their office computer screens. AOL to Build 'Newsroom of the Future' BusinessWeek AOL is using software to determine which articles to write and then gives its journalists up-to-the-minute data on how much traffic those articles generate. AOL is even considering sharing a portion of quarterly profits with staffers whose work fetches the most page views. Google Taps Exec to Oversee Display Ads ClickZ Google is naming an exec to run its display advertising businesses in the Americas, a new position. Barry Salzman, a veteran of DoubleClick, will be Google's first head of media and platforms, with oversight of areas including YouTube and the Google content network. Facebook Sees Revenue in Online Games Bloomberg Facebook is said to be expanding a service called Facebook Credits that gives it a 30% cut of sales from items in online games. After relying on advertising for almost all of its revenue, Facebook is moving to take a bigger piece of the market for virtual items bought in games. YouTube, Hulu Live Stream Tiger Woods YouTube / Hulu YouTube, perhaps best known for posting user-submitted videos, will run a live stream of Tiger Wood's press conference on Friday. The stream will be highlighted on YouTube's home page. Also: Hulu will provide a live stream as well, courtesy of its partners at ABC News. CNET Boss Leaving in Reorganization AllThingsD Joe Gillespie, the CBS exec who oversees the company's CNET and CBS News.com sites, is leaving amid a reorganization. Gillespie's CBS Interactive News Group is being folded into a group with the company's business brands, including BNET and MoneyWatch. Amazon Unveils Kindle App for BlackBerry AFP Amazon is releasing a free app that will make the online bookseller's e-books available for reading on BlackBerry smartphones. The app will let BlackBerry users access an online bookstore with more than 420,000 digital works. Most titles are $9.99 or less. Google More Powerful Brand Than Coke Metro Google is now a more powerful brand than Coca-Cola, the planet's best-selling soft drink, according to the annual list of the world's top 500 brands by Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy. Google, ranked at No. 2, is bested only by retail giant WalMart. Facebook May Challenge Google for Ads New Media Age Google's share of direct response advertising is under threat from Facebook as some marketers and ad agencies begin to shift spending away from channels including paid search. "We generally get better value from Facebook than Google," says one ad agency rep. Microsoft, Yahoo Clear Last Deal Hurdles New York Post The U.S. Justice Department is expected to approve the search pact between Microsoft and Yahoo, with an announcement to coincide with an OK by the European Commission. Both Microsoft and Yahoo argue that their union will create a viable competitor to Google. AOL to Launch Hundreds of News Sites SAI AOL plans to expand Patch, its network of local news blogs, from 30 sites to "hundreds," by the end of 2010, according to an internal communication with employees. The goal is to become "leaders in one of the most promising 'white spaces' on the Internet." Google Makes Living Stories Open Source ReadWriteWeb Google will make its Living Stories project available to news outlets globally by becoming an open source. Living Stories, developed with the New York Times and Washington Post, lets readers fully explore a story from a single page that includes updates and other filters. Tiger Woods to Break Silence Live Online Mashable Tiger Woods is set to break his silence Friday with a press announcement that will be broadcast live at 11 a.m. ET on Ustream, via partner CBS News. The golf star's statement is likely to draw a large online audience, since it takes place during the U.S. work day. FCC Wants More Projects Like Google's Bloomberg U.S. regulators want to spur creation of more high-speed Internet networks such as a project announced last week by Google. "The U.S. should lead the world in ultra-high speed broadband," says Federal Communications Commission chief Julius Genachowski. Google Buzz Smacked with FTC Complaint AP The Electronic Privacy Information Center is filing a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission about Google's new Buzz social networking service, saying it violates federal consumer protection law. Buzz represents "a significant breach" of privacy. Facebook Gripes Protected by Free Speech CNN A former Florida high-school student who was suspended after she set up a Facebook page to criticize her teacher is protected constitutionally under the First Amendment, a federal magistrate says. The student's speech "falls under the wide umbrella of protected speech." Twitter Annual Growth Rate at 1,105% TechCrunch After hitting a flat spot last fall, Twitter's worldwide growth is pointing in the right direction again. According to comScore, Twitter attracted 73.5 million users in January, up 8% from December when it had 65.2 million visitors. Its annual growth rate is a phenomenal 1,105%. Google Donates to Wikimedia Foundation TechCrunch Google is said to be donating $2 million to the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on the development of free, multilingual content to wiki-based projects. The foundation, which operates Wikipedia, recently added Craigslist founder Craig Newmark to its advisory board. Hulu UK Launch Delayed by Ad Dispute Telegraph Hulu's U.K. launch is facing delays as the video aggregator fails to agree advertising contracts with Britain's Channel 4 and Five. Hulu, which is still only available in the United States, has been in content talks with U.K. broadcasters since February 2009. Nielsen: Who Will Pay for Web Content? Tampa Bay Business A new survey by Nielsen of 27,000 consumers in 52 countries shows 85% would prefer entertainment and news found for free online remain that way. However, those who are willing to pay are typically those who shell out money for professionally produced media online. Yahoo: Burkle to Exit Company's Board MarketWatch Ron Burkle has decided not to stand for re-election to the board of Yahoo, where he has been a director since 2001. Burkle, head of the Yucaipa Cos. investment vehicle, wants to "devote more time to other business interests." Burkle recently acquired a stake in Barnes & Noble. Google CEO to Mobile Biz: Don't Fear Us Reuters Google is not the enemy of the mobile industry, says CEO Eric Schmidt. Google's core business is in helping online businesses attract audiences to which it can sell advertising. He admits: "We want to have a little bit of Google in everybody's transaction with the Internet." Yahoo Investor Carl Icahn Sells Off Shares CNET Carl Icahn is substantially cutting his stake in Yahoo, according to regulatory filings. The billionaire investor had just under 12 million shares at the end of 2009. That compares with more 60 million shares he held last summer. Icahn stepped down from Yahoo's board in October. Apple Offers $10,000 for iTunes Download San Jose Business Apple is celebrating its 10 billionth song download from iTunes with a $10,000 gift card prize for the person who does the transaction. The milestone is expected this month. A 17-year-old won a similar prize in 2006, when Apple marked its first billion songs sold on iTunes. AOL Helps Carly Simon with 'Vain' Video Spinner Carly Simon is teaming up with AOL music site Spinner for a contest seeking the first official video to accompany her 1972 hit tune "You're So Vain." The pop singer/songwriter has never publicly revealed the identity of her inspiration. The winning video will be screened on AOL. Microsoft Aims to Outflank Phone Rivals Seattle Times After three years of dodging questions over why it was so far behind Apple's iPhone, Microsoft is staging a comeback in the mobile business with a strikingly redesigned mobile operating system. The new Windows Phone 7 Series is for a "phone built for people in motion." Twitter: Kevin Smith Takes On Southwest Washington Post Film director Kevin Smith, who calls himself "way fat," has won an apology and a $100 voucher from Southwest Airlines after taking his outrage to Twitter over getting booted from a flight for violating the company's "customer of size" policy. His tweets urged a boycott. Google News Taking Cues from Twitter TechCrunch Google, which tried and failed to buy Twitter last year, appears to be testing the microblogging site's trending topics feature in its news service. Users are noticing trending topics in the left sidebar of Google News. Google confirms it is testing a new news page design. Facebook Bests Google as Traffic Source San Francisco Chronicle Facebook has passed Google to become the top source for traffic to portals like Yahoo and MSN, and is among the leaders for other types of sites, says Web measurement firm Compete. Social media could "become the Internet's next search engine." Amazon: Book Publishers Wary of Kindle Los Angeles Times While book publishers welcome the new e-book market, they also resent Amazon's attempts to keep prices low for its Kindle e-reader. Kindle owners are used to paying $9.99 for e-books through Amazon and may resist efforts by publishers to raise prices. Google Names Facebook, Twitter as Rivals Dow Jones Google sees Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Amazon, and WebMD as competitors, according to its 2009 annual report. The Internet giant previously regarded only Microsoft and Yahoo as "primary" rivals. The expanded list reflects Google's growing ambitions. YouTube (R)evolution at 5: The New MTV? PC World YouTube, founded five years ago, is now a full-fledged grown-up. Few sites have enabled more people to achieve insta-fame than Google's video-sharing site. And as MTV removes "music television" from its logo, music videos have unmistakably moved to YouTube. Chatroulette: 'Suddenly Popular' Web Site New York Times Chatroulette, a suddenly popular new Web site, generates one-on-one Webcam connections between you and another randomly chosen user from another part of the world. Its founder, a 17-year-old in Moscow, says he created the site for "fun" and has no "business goals." Google: Wrong Buzz Brings More Revamps San Jose Business Google is tinkering with its new Buzz social networking service in the face of continued privacy concerns. The company says in a blog post that it will stop automatically subscribing users to follow the postings of their close Gmail contacts. "We didn't get everything quite right." Mobile Media Event Could Bring Big News Hollywood Reporter The Mobile World Congress kicks off Monday in Barcelona. The four-day event could bring game-changing announcements in mobile devices. Google CEO Eric Schmidt is due to discuss "open content." Buzz has it that Microsoft could unveil a rival to Apple's iPhone. White House Focuses on Social Media World WSJ / AP President Obama is looking to hire a manager to run his pages on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. "This isn't a 9-5 sort of job." Also: White House press secretary Robert Gibbs is now tweeting. It is "fascinating to watch and see what people [are] thinking, doing and writing." Google Challenges Diller in Q&A Site Buy WebProNews Google is entering a deal to pay about $50 million to acquire Aardvark, which allows users to seek answers to questions online. Barry Diller's IAC, which owns the similar Q&A site Ask.com, regards the move as a direct challenge: "It's Google coming after us." Facebook Effort Touts Betty White for 'SNL' AP More than 188,000 people on Facebook are urging NBC's "Saturday Night Live" to make Betty White a host. The effort, which isn't affiliated with the 88-year-old actress, says she would be a "fantastic" host. White just appeared in a very popular Super Bowl commercial. Twitter, YouTube Lure Olympic Sponsors USA Today More consumer eyeballs are expected to be on computer and mobile phone screens during the Winter Olympics than on television screens. Visa is getting big pre-Olympic buzz online. About 40% of Visa's Olympic marketing funds will go to digital, four times its past share. Veoh Video-Sharing Start-Up to Shutter AllThingsD Veoh, a YouTube-style video-sharing site, is closing down and will liquidate under bankruptcy protection. The site, which was "mortally wounded" from a lawsuit with Universal Music, had high-profile backers including Time Warner and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Google Blogging Services Boot Six Blogs CNET Six music blogs are being kicked off Google's blogging services Blogger and Blogspot for allegedly posting unauthorized copyrighted material. Some of banned bloggers insist they are innocent. The move comes as Google forges ties with music labels for the new site Vevo. Amazon Mulls Giveaway of Kindle Devices TechCrunch Amazon.com is said to be considering giving a free Kindle e-reader to every subscriber in its Amazon Prime program. Amazon Prime gives customers free two-day shipping for every product they buy from the online retailer. The subscription program's current fee is $79 a year. News Corp: MySpace CEO Exits in Clash FT / ATD MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta is stepping down following a clash with Jon Miller, digital head of News Corp., the struggling social network's owner. Van Natta wanted to oust MySpace top exec Jason Hirschhorn. Also: News Corp. "is stuck trying to fix a distressed asset." YouTube Aims to Filter Offensive Content InfoWeek Google's YouTube video site is introducing Safety Mode, a setting that attempts to prevent the display of objectionable content. Safety Mode "isn't fool proof," YouTube admits. In theory, a tech-savvy teen will be able to bypass the feature by clearing browser cookies. Hulu Could Still Launch on Apple iPad TechCrunch When Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPad last month, one notable absent participant was Hulu, the Web's second-largest video site. But that could change. Hulu is rumored to be working on an iPad-friendly version that could be ready when the device launches next month. Apple Moves to Sell TV Shows for $1 Financial Times Apple could begin selling television shows for $1 when the computer maker's iPad hits the stores. The test, expected to coincide with the debut of the device, will offer some shows at a lower price to test whether reducing the cost of video programming will ignite sales. Apple iPad Interest is 'Crazy' in Europe San Jose Business Apple re-sellers in Europe are said to have stopped taking pre-orders for the new iPad as telecom companies compete to win the 3G wireless contract for the tablet device. "It's been a crazy interest," says one re-seller. Orders for the iPad "have hit four figures." Google Tests Home Broadband Service San Jose Business Google plans to test a home broadband service delivering Internet speeds "more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today." The Internet giant says it will charge "competitive prices." The purpose of the project is "to experiment and learn." Mattel's New Toy Allows Dogs to Tweet Los Angeles Times Mattel is preparing to release Puppy Tweets, a high-tech toy that will allow dogs to publicize their activities on Twitter via a sound and motion sensor. Attached to a dog's collar, the plastic tag randomly generates one of 500 canned tweets when it detects barking or movement. Twitter Names Pixar Executive as CFO Reuters Ali Rowghani, who currently serves as the finance chief at Disney's Pixar Animation Studios, is joining Twitter as CFO. The appointment comes as the company focuses on "creating value for our users and capturing the financial opportunities that result from it." Facebook Blocks Sites Helping Users Unplug USA Today Consumers seeking to "unplug" from social networks are turning to Web sites such as Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and Seppukoo, which automate the otherwise laborious process of disconnecting. Facebook is blocking the servers of both sites and sending cease-and-desists. Electus Lures Branded-Entertainment Vet Advertising Age Entertainment-marketing specialist Laura Caraccioli-Davis is leaving her longtime post at Starcom USA to join Electus, the entertainment joint venture of Barry Diller's IAC and former NBC Entertainment exec Ben Silverman. "Ben's pedigree -- it's very interesting," she says. 'iGeneration': Tech-Savvy Multi-Taskers USA Today Move over, Millennials. The younger, tech-savvy kids of the "iGeneration" want to be constantly connected in a way even their older siblings don't quite get. "Everything is customized and individualized to 'me.' They expect information to be at their disposal whenever they need it." TED Conference Attracts Editors, Directors Wired The annual Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference kicks off Wednesday in Long Beach, Calif. The four-day invitation-only event, dubbed "Davos for the Digerati set," will gather the likes of "Avatar" director James Cameron and Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson. Apple iPad's Components Cost a Mere $219 Bloomberg Apple's new iPad tablet device carries component costs of as little as $219.35, less than half its retail price, according to an estimate by market research firm ISuppli. The relatively low price of the iPad's materials may give Apple flexibility to reduce the retail price over time. Google Buzz Goes After Facebook, Twitter CNN Google is plunging into the world of social networking with the launch of Google Buzz. The new feature of its Gmail service will make "friends" out of the people a user e-mails or chats with the most, aiming to weed out "the clutter" of networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Facebook, AOL Enter Chat Partnership San Jose Mercury News As Google augments Gmail with a social networking feature, Facebook and AOL are announcing a partnership to integrate Facebook Chat into AIM, AOL's instant messaging platform. The integration with Facebook is seen as "a sign of where AOL is heading." IAC's Diller: No Online Media Acquisitions Dow Jones Barry Diller has said he plans to make more investments in media content with an eye toward generating online subscription revenue and premium advertising rates. But the CEO of IAC/InteractiveCorp now says he sees no attractive acquisition targets "of size" in the market. Google Eyes Language Translator Phone Times of London Google is developing software for the first phone capable of translating foreign languages almost instantly. By building on existing technologies in voice recognition and automatic translation, the Internet giant hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years. Apple CEO Scolds WSJ Editor Over Tweet Gawker / Post Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly went "ballistic" when Alan Murray, the Wall Street Journal's online executive editor, tweeted about the iPad after a private presentation of the new device. Murray's tweet has been deleted. Earlier: "Don't be stupid" with Twitter, Murray says. MySpace Music Experiments with Audio Ads Associated Press MySpace Music is experimenting with audio advertisements that users must hear if they want to listen to music for free online. The 30-second ads are impossible to avoid, unlike the visual, banner ads that can be put out of sight in background windows. Foursquare Inks Deals With Media Brands Mashable Zagat, Warner Bros., HBO and the History Channel are among the media brands entering deals with Foursquare, the location-based social-networking app. Zagat.com is extending its partnership beyond Foursquare and starting an interview series with Foursquare mayors. Video Games: Consumers Will Pay Online Los Angeles Times While traditional media companies struggle to find profitable business models on the Web, the games industry is experimenting with a variety of methods to generate revenue online. Digital sales are growing fast and could be the future of the video-game business. Barnes & Noble: Nook in Stores by Midweek Reuters Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader will be available in most of its stores by Wednesday, ahead of Valentine's Day, ending weeks of delays. The device, which competes with Amazon's Kindle, had only been available for order on the retailer's Web site or at in-store kiosks. Internet's 'Next Big Thing' Is Not So Clear Vanity Fair Steve Jobs, Barry Diller, Nick Denton and other media and tech professionals are serving up competing theories on what will be the Internet's next big thing, writes Vanity Fair contributor Michael Wolff. Google? Twitter? "Deciphering the chatter is no small talent." Media, Tech Observers Gush Over iPad Fortune "The Charlie Rose Show" invited A-list tech commentators Mike Arrington, David Carr and Walt Mossberg to gush about (and find a few faults with) Apple's iPad. The new gadget, says Carr, makes the Amazon Kindle look like "something the Mennonites made 150 years ago." Apple iPad Ideal for Execs, Middle-Aged San Jose Mercury News The first wave of Apple iPad users is more likely to be busy professionals than youthful first-adapters, experts say. "The sweet-spot for the device right now will be the busy traveling adult." The $499-to-$829-priced iPad is ideal for "business execs and road warriors." Yahoo Blog to Discuss Future of Mobile WebProNews Yahoo may be doing a lot more in terms of mobile before long. Or at least telling more about its current mobile phone-related efforts. The Internet company is launching a blog to offer news of mobile product launches and predictions on "where the market is heading." Facebook: New Email, Microsoft Ad Deal New York Post Facebook is gearing up to take on Google's popular email service at the same time the social-networking site enters a new deal with Microsoft that will give it back its display ad sales in exchange for giving Microsoft's Bing a bigger search presence on its site. Electronic Arts Plans 'Madden' for Facebook Bloomberg Electronic Arts will introduce "Madden NFL" on Facebook, bringing the video game to the social-networking site's 400 million users. "We have to make 'Madden' more accessible," says EA Sports head Peter Moore. "You'll see us on Facebook going forward." Amazon, Macmillan Close to E-Book Deal Reuters / AFP Amazon is resuming the sale of hardcover and paperback books from Macmillan in a sign the two companies are close to resolving a pricing dispute. E-books for the Kindle are still not available. Also: Publishers are happy to see Kindle rivals emerge. Google's Display-Ad Sales to Top $1 Billion BusinessWeek Display advertising is expected to contribute more than $1 billion to Google's total sales this year -- an increase of some 40% over last year. Big advertisers have traditionally focused branding efforts on television and print, but "that will be moved online." Google Pursues Super Bowl's Advertisers Forbes Google is offering Super Bowl advertisers exposure far beyond television. Marketers can upload their ads on YouTube's Super Bowl Ad Blitz page. The Internet giant is also promising marketers more exposure if they buy video, search and display ads. Twitter Users to Rank Super Bowl Spots Boston Herald BrandBowl 2010, a new advertising-review site from Boston ad firm Mullen and social media monitor Radian6, will collect and analyze all worldwide tweets mentioning Super Bowl commercials and translate them into a near-real-time, top-10 ranking of each brand's popularity. Hulu Opens Channel for ABC News Content Broadcasting & Cable ABC News content is being added to Hulu on its own channel. Short- and long-form programming from "Good Morning America," "Nightline," "20/20" and other shows will be available. ABC News is joining NBC News and Fox News programming on the video site. AOL Hires Google Content Exec for Media Washington Business David Eun, the head of content partnerships at Google, is leaving the search giant to become president of AOL Media and Studios. He replaces Bill Wilson, who is exiting AOL after nine years. At AOL, Eun will oversee the company's 80 content sites and Seed.com portal. MySpace Exec Hirschhorn On His Way Out TechCrunch MySpace chief product officer Jason Hirschhorn will soon be leaving the company, sources say. Hirschhorn, a former exec with Sling Media and MTV digital, joined the News Corp. social network last April. Sources cite a "lack of chemistry" between Hirschhorn and other execs. Google Book Deal Criticized by Justice Dept AFP The U.S. Department of Justice is slamming a legal deal to let Google scan and sell millions of books online, saying it raises anti-trust and copyright concerns. Despite "substantial progress" in a revised settlement between Google and the Authors Guild "issues remain." Amazon: Hachette Joins Battle Over E-Books Wall Street Journal A fight between book publishers and Amazon.com is heating up. Hachette says it wants retailers to price e-books the way Apple plans to, essentially taking sides with Macmillan in a dispute with Amazon. "This new model helps protect the viability of the book marketplace." Perez Hilton 'Most Influential on Internet' Telegraph Perez Hilton is the most influential person on the Internet, according to Forbes magazine's fourth annual ranking. The celebrity blogger, whose "online fame often spills into the offline world," comes in ahead of the founders of TechCrunch, Mashable, Twitter and Digg. Google Ranks as Most Popular Mobile Brand VentureBeat Google leads as the most visited mobile brand, according to a report by Nielsen. Not surprisingly, people care about weather, news, and sports when they are on the go, and Weather Channel, CNN and ESPN have succeeded in transporting their brands to mobile. Facebook Bests Google as Driver to Media MinOnline Facebook is supplanting Google News and Google's RSS feed reader as a dominant funnel to news and information Web sites, according to Hitwise. Many users keep their Facebook page in an open window and let it serve as their main aggregator of content and conversations. Apple iPad Signs McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin CNET McGraw-Hill, Houghton Mifflin, Kaplan Publishing, and Pearson are signing deals to be among the first to port their textbooks over to Apple's new iPad tablet device. Their study guides and test prep manuals are heading to the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch as well. Amazon Buys Touch-Screen Tech for Kindle New York Times In a sign that Amazon wants to upgrade its Kindle e-reader to compete with the Apple iPad, Amazon is acquiring Touchco, a startup that specializes in touch-screen technology. Touchco began as a project at the Media Research Lab at New York University. Splinternet: End of the Web as We Know It CNNMoney The idea of a one-size-fits-all Internet is over, thanks to the iPad, Kindle, BlackBerry and their device-specific content, says Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff. Since not every app is available on every gadget, content is being walled off into "gated communities." Twitter: Half of All Businesses Will Microblog Techtree One in every five businesses worldwide will start using social networks as a primary vehicle of interpersonal communications, says IT research firm Gartner. It also predicts that nearly half all companies will start using services like Twitter in the next few years. Facebook Age: Young People Abandon Blogs Associated Press Young people are losing interest in blogging, as their communication habits become increasingly brief and mobile, says a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. "It's a matter of typing quickly," says one 18 year old. "People these days don't find reading that fun." Yahoo to Sell HotJobs to Monster for $225M San Francisco Chronicle Yahoo plans to sell its HotJobs search site to competing Monster.com for $225 million in cash and earn additional revenue over the next three years by steering traffic to the job-hunting site. Monster.com is to take over relationships with 600 U.S. newspapers. Hulu Mulls Pay Model, Mobile Expansion USA Today / Telegraph Hulu CEO Jason Kilar says a free version of the video site will always exist, but that the company is exploring premium pricing. Analysts say Hulu has the potential to be "the Netflix of TV." Also: Hulu is rumored to move into mobile devices with subscription model. Amazon: Publishers to Seek More Control Bloomberg Amazon.com will have to give publishers more control over the prices of digital books for its Kindle device to match an agreement forged with Macmillan, according to the Authors Guild. Amazon is allowing Macmillan to sell its e-book titles for as much as $14.99. Media Venture Activity Blooms in New York GigaOM New York City is becoming a larger center of Internet entrepreneurship, as the talent pool of software engineers and programmers expands in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Traditional media's $100 billion-plus in annual revenue is "vulnerable to smart Web solutions." AOL Stresses Focus on Need for Turnaround CNNMoney AOL, newly released from its failed marriage with Time Warner, says that it swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, but revenue fell as its subscriber base dwindled further. Says CEO Tim Armstrong: "Today's results reflect the need for our focus on the turnaround." Microsoft, Comcast Back Internet TV Startup Wall Street Journal A startup called Move Networks aims to take Internet video from its YouTube origins to a full-fledged television service with dozens of channels. It still must convince networks to sign on. Move's backers include Microsoft, Comcast and Disney's venture-capital arm. Diller, Murdoch Team to Distribute Content Associated Press Former NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman's new studio, Electus, and the distribution arm of Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group are teaming up to distribute Electus' content around the world. Electus was formed in July with Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp. Vevo Launches Grammy Channel with CBS WebProNews Vevo, the recently launched music video site, is teaming up with the Recording Academy and CBS to launch a channel dedicated to The Grammys. The channel will offer noteworthy footage from 52 years of Grammy performances available for free, on-demand viewing. Univision Opens Its Own YouTube Channel World Screen Univision programming is now available on YouTube, with Kraft Foods as the exclusive launch sponsor of the new channel. The launch represents the first time that the U.S. Spanish-language broadcaster's content is being made available online beyond Univision.com. Google Adds 'Stars' to Mark News Stories AFP Google is now letting visitors tell its news site what topics they want to tune into. People can click on "stars" to mark stories on preferred subjects to signal Google News to watch for updates. "It's one way to let us know that you're interested in that subject." Yahoo to Keep AP Content with New Deal Associated Press The Associated Press is entering a new deal with Yahoo that gives the news wire a steady stream of revenue at a time less money is flowing in from newspapers and broadcasters. The AP says it is still negotiating to renew its online agreements with Google and Microsoft. Facebook Poised to Pass Yahoo in Visitors TechCrunch Facebook is on its way to taking Yahoo's spot as the world's third largest Web property, following Google and Microsoft. In December, Facebook narrowed its gap behind Yahoo to 125 million unique visitors, according to comScore. Facebook displaced AOL last summer. AOL to Become Disruptive, Entrepreneurial MarketWatch As AOL completes layoffs that will eliminate a third of its employees worldwide, the company is eying both an expansion and a new home in Silicon Valley, in hopes of tapping the area for inspiration. AOL aims to create a new culture like a "well-funded start-up." Apple Rumored to Develop Second Tablet TechCrunch Apple is said to be "pretty far along" on developing on second tablet device that would be ready for release within the next year. The rumored device is described as much larger than the just-released iPad, and will appear to be "much more like a Mac than an iPhone." Google Developing Its Own Tablet Device? Telegraph Google is rumored to be developing its own rival to the Apple iPad, after an engineer at the Internet giant posted a video online showing a mock-up of the company's Chrome operating system running on a tablet computer. The video shows a device running multiple tasks. Twitter Hires Exec for Media Partnerships VentureBeat Twitter is naming Robin Sloan, a former strategist and exec at Al Gore's Current TV, to handle media partnerships for the microblogging service. Sloan says he will help "producers, reporters and strategists" at media companies do "transformative things with tweets." Facebook Vote to Decide Super Bowl Ad St. Louis Business Anheuser-Busch's advertising firm DDB is testing new edits for the company's Super Bowl ads on A-B's Facebook page. The move comes after A-B's planned line-up of ads drew criticism from people who lamented the absence of the iconic Clydesdale horses. Hulu Adds NFL Network, Super Bowl Ads Broadcasting & Cable Hulu is adding NFL Network and NFL Films to its lineup of content partners. In addition, the video site is bringing back its annual Super Bowl commercials subsection. Dubbed AdZone, the site will be added with new ad spots as they appear during the big game. YouTube, MySpace Replace Radio for Bands Los Angeles Times Rock bands looking to make it in the music business are increasingly turning to the Internet, rather than record labels or traditional radio, say industry execs. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are the places where bands "lay circuitry for success these days." Blogs, Twitter Boost Anti-Obama Groups Washington Post The conservative movement in Washington, D.C., is becoming more energized, thanks in part to efforts by right-leaning organizations to use Twitter, blogs and other new media to unite against President Obama. "We're experts at finding pro-lifers on Facebook." Google CEO: I'm Worried About Teenagers AFP Google CEO Eric Schmidt says he is concerned that youngsters growing up in the mobile instant information age will develop a "deep reading" problem. Teenagers "spend less time reading all forms of literature, books, magazines ... That probably has an effect on cognition." Apple Says Google Wants to Kill iPhone Wired Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in a town hall meeting with employees after the iPad launch, confirms the much-reported rivalry between his company and Google: "Make no mistake they want to kill the iPhone. We won't let them." As for Google's don't be evil mantra: "It's bullshit." Mobile Ads to Get Boost from Apple iPad IHT Analysts say the introduction of Apple's iPad tablet device could fuel the development of the entire mobile advertising business. That is because the iPad -- a cross between a laptop and an iPhone -- looks more like the latter from an advertising perspective. Microsoft to Test Ad Exchange Business AllThingsD Is Microsoft is finally ready to a launch its long-delayed advertising exchange? The tech giant is set to roll out AdECN, the "real-time" ad exchange it bought in 2007, within the next two weeks. But AdECN initially will be available to just a handful of ad buyers. Amazon Retreats In E-Book Publisher Fight Wall Street Journal Amazon is stepping away from the brink of an all-out war with publishers. The Kindle maker on Friday stopped selling books from Macmillan after a dispute over how to price e-books. But on Sunday afternoon, Amazon announced that the move was "temporary." Netflix Seen as Amazon Takeover Target Wall Street Journal Netflix is said to be "a lot more attractive" to Amazon, due to the increasing popularity of the DVD rental king's streaming video service. "There is now even a higher possibility" of an acquisition, analysts say. Netflix is a good fit with Amazon's "overall deal strategy." Hulu Videos Unavailable on Apple's iPad USA Today Apple's iPad is billed as the ultimate multimedia device, yet it won't play video from sites such as Hulu and Vimeo. Those sites are displayed in Flash, which the new gadget does not support. YouTube, CNN.com and other video sites have apps that let users watch video. Apple's iPad May Take Year to 'Break Out' Bloomberg Apple's iPad tablet may take a year to turn into a "breakout" product with mass-market appeal, as consumers wait for the price to drop below $499 and for more publishers to get on board, analysts say. It's "an amazing device," but it "needs to be $300 to $400." Google: Apple iPad Won't Save Publishers Advertising Age Apple's iPad may help publishers, but only significant evolution will save them, says Google chief economist Hal Varian. The tablet shouldn't be viewed as "the be-all and end-all of distribution." Also: The New York Times's online pay wall will be "too easy to bypass." Amazon: Millions of People Now Own Kindles AFP Amazon's Kindle may face a new rival in Apple's iPad, but for now the online retail giant is enjoying its reign as king of the e-book reader market. "Millions of people now own Kindles," says Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. "We sell six Kindle books for every 10 physical books." Twitter Works on Technology to Foil Censors Times of London Twitter is developing a technology that will block governments in countries like China and Iran from censoring its users. CEO and co-founder Evan Williams says that the company is working on "interesting hacks" to stop governments interfering in its site. Google's Revised Books Deal Stirs Critics San Jose Business Amazon and other critics who opposed Google's first proposed book settlement with authors and publishers are weighing in with objections to the revised deal, too. Amazon says the new agreement "continues to give Google exclusive rights likely to lead to a monopoly." Microsoft Hurt by Decline in Ads, Xbox Bloomberg Microsoft's new Windows 7 software is fueling a surge in quarterly profit and revenue, making up for a slump in the rest of its business. The company is being hurt by slow sales of Internet ads. The unit that makes the Xbox video-game machine is also reporting declines. AOL Seeking to 'Croudsource' Journalism GigaOM AOL's new Seed.com service, in an effort to "crowdsource" journalism, is looking for writers to interview all 2,000 bands and performers at the SXSW music festival in Austin. The "experiment," says chief Saul Hansell, will involve "real reporting" -- and pay writers $50. Apple CEO Unveils 'Magical' iPad Tablet MSNBC Apple chief Steve Jobs is taking the wraps off the iPad, a tablet device that will let users surf the Web, watch TV shows and movies, play music and games, and read books and periodicals. The New York Times's app "captures the essence of reading the newspaper." Twitter Rolls Out New Focus on Local News San Francisco Chronicle Twitter is launching a "Local Trends" filter, which lets member see what others are talking about in their local city, state or country. "Local Trends will allow you to learn more about the nuances in our world and discover even more relevant topics that might matter to you." Facebook May 'Lock In" Its Dominance Reuters Facebook appears to have nearly achieved technological lock-in, according to comScore. Technological lock-in is the idea that the more a society adopts a certain technology, the more unlikely users are to switch. "There actually becomes a greater cost to leaving." Yelp Gets Help from Elevation Partners San Francisco Chronicle Elevation Partners plans to invest up to $100 million in Yelp, a month after the online recommendation service reportedly walked away from a bid by Google. With the growing influence of social networks and mobile devices, online reviews "are a very valuable content asset." Netflix Sees Studios Holding Back Films Los Angeles Times Adding content to Netflix is a top priority for the company, says CEO Reed Hastings, who warns that talks to do so may become contentious, most likely because Starz, HBO, Showtime and the new Epix pay channel don't want to cede ground to the DVD-by-mail giant. Google, Apple Eye Mobile Ads Makeovers Wall Street Journal Google is expected to launch a new type of mobile-search ad for high-end phones. People who search for pizza, for example, might see a search ad with a phone number that they can click to call a nearby pizzeria. Also, Apple's iPad is being eyed for next-gen mobile ads. Google Questioned by FCC About Fees Denver Business The Federal Communications Commission wants Google and other wireless phone providers to justify their early termination fees. The U.S. agency is setting a Feb. 23 deadline for an explanation from Google, AT&T, Sprint and others of how customers are informed about the fees. Twitter Hits 75 Million Users, Most Inactive San Francisco Business Twitter's growth slowed in the second half of 2009 but the microblogging sensation still ended the year with 75 million user accounts, says a report by RJMetrics. Most of Twitter's account holders are inactive, but those that are using the service are "increasingly engaged." Yahoo CEO Eyes TV Ads, Acquisitions GigaOm Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz is trumpeting the comeback of display advertising as the company announces its fourth-quarter results, saying: "Frankly, our competition is television." Bartz calls 2010 a year of content "acquisitions to make Yahoo even stronger." Google Beefs Up New 'Social Web Team' CNET Is Google plotting to encroach upon Facebook's territory? The Internet giant appears to have launched a sort of social-networking task force: Open-standards guru Will Norris says he will be joining Google next month to work on a newly formed "Social Web team." Facebook Most Popular Mobile Social Site WebProNews Facebook has become the most-visited social network on the mobile Web, according to Opera's "State of the Mobile Web" report. Unique users of Facebook grew more than 600% during 2009. Twitter saw its usage increase more than 2,800%. EBay Launches Free Auction Listings San Jose Business EBay is announcing free auction listings and a "3-cent store." For sellers who list items occasionally, auction-style listings with a start price of 99 cents or less will be free. When an item sells, the seller will pay a flat final value fee of 9% of the sale price. YouTube to Host User Q&A with Obama CNET Viewers of President Obama's State of the Union address tonight on YouTube will be able to ask questions about the speech's content via text or video. Obama will answer the top-voted questions in a YouTube interview from the White House next week. Apple Pushing For Lower TV Prices Financial Times Apple is pressing U.S. television networks to reduce their prices for TV shows offered on its iTunes store in order to cut the charge to consumers and to help spur demand. The push is seen as an integral part of the company's long-term strategy for its new tablet device. Apple's Tablet to Feature Video, Color Bloomberg Apple's planned tablet computer is luring publishers with features that Amazon's Kindle and Sony' e-readers lack, such as color photos, video and author interviews, analysts say. The device will allow publishers to create more interactive content. "Apple is in a killer position." Amazon Kindle Feels 'Old' to Young Atlanta Business The Amazon Kindle may not be able to save the struggling newspaper industry, according to a study by the University of Georgia. Young adults compare the portable e-readers unfavorably to smart phones, such as the iPhone. The Kindle feels "old" to them. AOL to Bring Video to Niche Web Sites Crain's New York Freshly spun-off AOL plans to hire engineers and other techies to staff a New York Technology Center, two months after announcing it would lay off much of its global staff. AOL also is acquiring StudioNow, which will help bring video to the company's niche sites. YouTube Movie Rental Service a Dud Home Media YouTube's much-hyped foray into movie rental streaming featuring five independent films from last weekend's Sundance Film Festival is a "box office bomb," analysts say. Based on their cut, the makers of the five films will pocket merely "hundreds of dollars." Google Guys to Cede Majority Control Dow Jones Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin plan to sell about 10 million shares of the Internet search giant as part of a five-year stock trading plan, giving up their majority voting power. Page and Brin are "as committed as ever to Google," says a company spokesman. YouTube, Studios Talk Online Rentals Bloomberg Google's YouTube is talking with major Hollywood studios about expanding its fledging service offering indie films from the Sundance Film Festival into an online rental service. "We don't want to own content," says Google VP David Eun. "We want to be a neutral platform." AOL to Redefine Journalism for Internet TechCrunch Saul Hansell left his job as a reporter at the New York Times last year to become the programming director for Seed, the new online assignment desk for AOL's 80 Web sites. AOL's new mission, he says, "is to redefine journalism for the Internet age. We will do a lot of experiments." Yahoo, AOL In Internet Fight to Keep Up Financial Times Content-focused Yahoo and AOL are struggling to keep up with its newer Web rivals Facebook and Twitter, analysts say. AOL and Yahoo are not "in a position to ask people to act and be social. They have trained people to come to their site and be passive." MySpace Seeks Relevancy in Social Media Bloomberg News Corp.'s MySpace aims to become more relevant in social media and is retooling itself as a one-stop destination for music, gaming and entertainment, says CEO Owen Van Natta. "We want to develop that next generation. We're highly social about film and music." Twitter, Facebook Lead in Social Media San Jose Business More time is being spent on social networks than any other type of Internet site, with Facebook and Twitter leading growth in the category, says a report from Nielsen. Twitter is showing the strongest growth, up more than sixfold year to year to $18.7 million users. Digg Preps 'Drastic' Redo for Real-Time Telegraph Social news site Digg will undergo a "drastic" redesign this year to better embrace the real-time Web, says founder Kevin Rose. "People are going to be shocked." The new site will focus more on recommended content, with an emphasis on what friends are consuming. Online Piracy to Leave 'Cultural Deserts' BBC News Some countries risk becoming "cultural deserts" because of online file-sharing, says the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The situation is "almost irreversible" in Spain, which has no laws to halt illegal downloads. "Drastic action needs to be taken." YouTube to Let Users 'Discover' Music TechCrunch YouTube is taking advantage of its new venture Vevo by introducing a Music Discovery Project -- dubbed "Disco" for short -- where searching for an artist generates a playlist of recommended videos. Users can find related artists, create a mixtape and save playlists. Google's Schmidt: We're Back 'Full Blast' San Francisco Chronicle Google is announcing robust fourth-quarter results, highlighting a turnaround in online commerce and advertising. "This was a very strong quarter for Google and an extraordinary end to a rollercoaster year," says CEO Eric Schmidt. "We're back in business full blast." Yelp Seeks Funding After Google Talks Bloomberg Yelp, the business-review site whose acquisition talks with Google fell apart last month, is said to be turning to private-equity firm Elevation Partners to raise more money instead of pursuing an IPO or getting bought. The move mirrors deals struck in the past by Facebook. YouTube Getting Into Movie Rental Biz Associated Press YouTube is making its debut as a rental outlet to help promote some of the movies that will be shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The expansion moves Google's video site into competition with the likes of Apple's iTunes store, Amazon, Netflix and Blockbuster. Hulu Mulls Fees for Popular TV Shows Los Angeles Times Video site Hulu is weighing plans to charge users to watch episodes of "30 Rock," "Modern Family" and "House." One plan being considered would allow users to view the five most recent episodes free but would require a charge of $4.99 a month to watch older episodes. Facebook May Drop Microsoft Ad Biz Bloomberg Microsoft is losing Facebook's advertising business in some international markets and is renegotiating an agreement as it faces the possibility that ads will be pulled in the United States. Facebook is said to "have a desire to sell their own advertising." Apple Tablet to Reshape TV, Print Media Wall Street Journal With a new tablet device, Apple is said to be aiming to reshape the newspaper and television businesses much the way the iPod revamped the music industry. Apple reportedly has talked with the New York Times, Conde Nast, CBS and ABC over content for the tablet. New Media Can Help (Some) Old Media Crain's New York E-reader users read more books and magazines and television-watchers will pay more for online content on their TV sets, according to a new media survey from L.E.K. Consulting. As for newspapers, however, "people are finding better information elsewhere." Twitter in Talks With Potential Advertisers Bloomberg A Twitter initial public offering remains on the distant horizon as the company prepares to boost revenue with a new advertising program, says COO Dick Costolo. Twitter plans to introduce "unobtrusive" ads this year and is in discussions with potential advertisers. TiVo Hit With Lawsuit from Microsoft San Jose Business Microsoft is suing TiVo, saying the company's video recorders are illegally using technology that is used to purchase and deliver video as well as how it displays program information. Microsoft says it is willing to resolve the situation through a licensing deal. Amazon's Kindle E-Reader to Add Apps New York Times Amazon will take a page from Apple and announce that it is opening up the Kindle to outside software developers to create apps for the e-readng device. Media companies will be able to sell more profitable Kindle apps, and present news updated throughout the day. Google News Users Just Read Headlines AFP Nearly half of the users of Google News merely skim headlines without clicking through to news Web sites, says a survey by Outsell. The finding is likely to provide further ammunition to Rupert Murdoch, who criticizes news aggregators for not sharing ad revenue. Apple In Talks to Drop Google from iPhone BusinessWeek Apple is said to be in talks with Microsoft to replace Google with Bing as the default search engine on its iPhone. The discussions reflect the accelerating rivalry in the mobile market between Apple and Google, currently the iPhone's main search provider. Google's Rivals Propose Public Guardian San Francisco Chronicle Opponents of the legal settlement that would allow Google to publish millions of books online are stepping forward with a counterproposal: a digital public library operated by a nonprofit public guardian. The proposal is backed by Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon. Apple's 'iSlate' Device May Be Tough Sell USA Today Apple may face challenges in convincing consumers they need a new multimedia tablet, which the company is expected to announce next week. "There was a crying need for a multimedia smartphone," analysts say. Such a need may not exist for the so-called "iSlate." Amazon Unveils New E-Book Royalty Plan Dow Jones Amazon is announcing a new royalty option with more financial incentive for authors and publishers to keep e-book prices low. The new plan allows authors and publishers to receive 70% of the book's list price as royalty, which average about 6 cents per book. Microsoft to Release Its Own Smartphone Bloomberg Microsoft, whose mobile version of Windows has lost market share to Apple and Google, will try to drum up excitement for the software by introducing its own phone, according to Jefferies & Co. The "long-rumored 'Pink' phone" is expected to include high-def video. Facebook, Twitter Lure 'Conversationalists' WSJ / TC A third of adults online are now using the Web for "quick conversations," posting updates on sites like Facebook and Twitter at least once a week, says Forrester Research. Also: Microsoft's Bill Gates is rejoining Facebook and signing up for his first Twitter account. Google Scraps Phone Launch in China Associated Press Google is postponing the planned launch of its mobile phone in China amid a dispute with the government over Internet censorship and e-mail hacking that the search giant says may force it to leave the country. A launch ceremony planned for Wednesday is being canceled. YouTube to Introduce Live Sports Events Marketing Google is poised to become a powerhouse in live sports broadcasting after securing the rights to stream cricket's most lucrative annual tournament to a global audience online. Google's YouTube will show 60 matches from the Indian Premier League and aims to sign sponsors. Microsoft Eyes Disney's ESPN for Xbox New York Times Microsoft is said to be holding talks with Disney about a programming deal with ESPN for the subscription gaming service, Xbox Live. For a per-subscriber fee, ESPN could provide live streams of sporting events. Microsoft could also create ESPN interactive games. Vevo Is Becoming MTV of the Internet VentureBeat Vevo, the music video portal that launched in conjunction with YouTube and several music labels in December, is "bringing back the glory days of music videos." Vevo attracted 35 million visitors in December, making it the largest Internet music site only a month after its launch. Apple Invites Press to 'Latest Creation' CNN Apple will host a much-anticipated press event Jan. 27 in San Francisco. Insiders expect the company to unveil a "slate" computer, which will look something like a giant iPhone. Apple is yet to comment on the frenzy of rumors about its supposedly upcoming tablet device. HarperCollins in Talks Over Apple Tablet Wall Street Journal HarperCollins is said to be negotiating with Apple to make e-books available for the introduction of the tech giant's new tablet device, posing a challenge to Amazon.com. HarperCollins is expected to set the prices of the e-books, which would have added features. TV, E-Readers Face Different Forecasts Reuters Television will dominate home entertainment for another year, showing more staying power than newspapers and even their digital reincarnation the e-reader, predicts a new report from Deloitte. E-readers could struggle as more gadgets come to market. Mobile App Downloads to Top $6 Billion Puget Sound Business Mobile phone users will spend $6.2 billion downloading applications this year, up from $4.2 billion last year, according to a report from Gartner. The trend appears to only be starting: Sales in mobile application stores are forecast to reach $29.5 billion by 2013. Twitter: Obama Sends His First Tweet AFP President Obama "tweeted" his first message Monday, joining the millions who have used Twitter as a vital information vehicle for the Haiti disaster. The president sent his tweet from the American Red Cross office serving as a disaster operations center in Haiti. Facebook, Twitter Lure Coke Campaigns New Media Age Coca-Cola is shifting its digital focus away from traditional campaign sites and towards community platforms. Coca-Cola will position its Facebook and YouTube pages as the lead online channels for upcoming international activity for its Coke Zero and Fanta brands. Google Probes Inside Help on China Attack Reuters Google is said to be investigating whether employees in its office in China may have helped facilitate a cyber-attack that the search giant says it was a victim of in mid-December. Google may pull out of the world's biggest Internet market due to the attack. Yahoo Unveils Studio to Cover Olympics San Jose Business Yahoo is launching a Winter Olympics mobile site, broadcast studio in Vancouver and entertainment center there. Yahoo also says it will also provide Olympians and champion athletes for games commentary. The entertainment center will include a free WiFi lounge. AOL Launches User-Generated Web Sites Media Week UK AOL is pushing ahead with its focus on creating content by launching two sites, Owl and Seed, which allow users to post "expert" advice and get paid for their essays and photos. Payment to writers for submissions is 50% of AOL's profits if the piece is exclusive or 20% if it is not. Apple: Media-Centric Tablet in 'Production' CNET The much-rumored Apple tablet device is "in full production," according to a report by AVI Securities analyst Matt Thornton. "E-books, e-magazines, e-readers, that's what they're going after. This is going after [a] category that is much more multimedia centric." Google, Apple to Shape Mobile Future BusinessWeek Google and Apple are in a battle to shape the future of mobile media, observers say. Google's Nexus One smartphone is taking on Apple's iPhone, as Apple aims to rival Google in mobile advertising with Quattro Wireless. "Billions of dollars are up for grabs." Yahoo Eyes Local Content Acquisitions BusinessWeek Yahoo is preparing to make more acquisitions this year. CEO Carol Bartz says she is particularly interested in ways to bolster Yahoo's local content. "Local is extremely important. People do some outrageous percentage of their spending five miles from their home." Google Backed by White House on China Reuters The White House is backing Google's decision to no longer support China's censoring of searches. A White House spokesman says President Obama has strong beliefs about the rights of men and women worldwide that would not be "carved out" for certain countries. Facebook, Craigslist Execs Advise Obama Washington Post The Obama administration is inviting dozens of top U.S. execs to the White House to seek tech advice on how to better serve the public. Expected attendees include Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. Twitter Poised for Ubiquity on Internet TechCrunch Twitter is said to be preparing to launch a new set of tools that will allow third party Web sites to easily integrate the microblogging service's features. Twitter is believed to be working with a handful of publishers and will likely announce the new product shortly. YouTube to Become Profitable in 2010 AllThingsD YouTube will start earning a profit this year, predicts Barclays analyst Douglas Anmuth. The video site will "start contributing positively" to Google's earnings as it "monetizes more than 1 billion video views every week." Plus, an "improving ad environment certainly helps." Google Scores Points With Regulators New York Post Google's decision to stand up to censorship in China may cost the Internet giant up to $600 million a year. Still, the company is gaining goodwill in Washington, D.C., where it has been on the hot seat on antitrust matters. "Clearly, Google is gaining macro brownie points." RealNetworks CEO Exits Amid Decline CNET Rob Glaser, CEO of RealNetworks, is stepping down after building the software firm's RealAudio and RealVideo into online powerhouses. But after the launch of YouTube, which touched off huge interest in online video, Real has been on the wane ever since. Twitter Mobilizes Efforts for Haiti Aid CNNMoney Twitter is playing a critical role in collecting donations to help victims in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. Fundraising efforts are among the site's top trending topics. Also, Twitter is buzzing with tweets from Haitians who have no other way to communicate. Poll: Most Won't Pay for News Online CNET Some 77% of online adults say they won't pay to read newspapers online, according to a new Harris poll. Among those willing to pay, 19% would cough up between $1 and $10 a month. Also, just 43% say they read a newspaper each day, either in print or online. AP, Yahoo Near Deal on Content Use Wall Street Journal The Associated Press and Yahoo are closing in on a deal that would impose tighter restrictions and potentially a higher price tag on AP stories distributed on Yahoo's news site. The AP has been haggling with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo over new distribution terms. Apple Sells Hijacked Media Brand Apps AllThingsD Apple's iTunes store is offering unauthorized paid apps for several media brands, including the New York Times. Apple's policy on the matter is similar to the one that Google takes to YouTube copyright complaints: Put it up, then take it down if someone complains. IAC Exec Ben Silverman to Be Married New York Post Former NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman is engaged to be married to girlfriend Jennifer Cuoco. Silverman, who left the network last year to form online production house Electus with Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, says: "She's a superstar." Twitter Reports Highest Usage Day Ever TechCrunch Twitter co-founder Evan Williams tweets: "Across all metrics that matter, yesterday was Twitter's highest-usage day ever. (And today will be bigger.)" Twitter's new growth may be stalled, but the site's current users appear to be using it more rabidly than ever. Google Mulls Exit From Chinese Market Bloomberg Google plans to stop censoring results on its Chinese site, Google.cn, a move that may lead to shutting down the service. Google says it has evidence that an attack on its China Web site was aimed at accessing Gmail accounts of Chinese human-rights activists. Yahoo Finds Generation Gap in Web Ads AllThingsD Display advertisements on Web pages increase sales, but that effect declines with younger audiences, according to a study done for Yahoo. Display ads are most effective with people over age 65 and there is nearly no effect from them on people under age 40. AOL to Shutter German, French Offices AFP AOL intends to close its French and German offices as part of a worldwide round of job cuts. In the United States, the company say it has begun notifying "a limited number of individuals" affected by layoffs, with the majority of the pink slips being delivered Wednesday. Facebook: We Won't Become a Pay Site Telegraph Facebook is denying claims that it plans to charge its users. The rumor about the social network charging for its content appears to have come from a hoax email circulated on the site. A spokesman says: "We have no plans to charge users for Facebook's basic services." Netflix Streaming Video Coming to Wii San Francisco Chronicle Netflix is bringing its streaming service to the Nintendo Wii, the No. 1 video console, greatly expanding its market for digitally delivered content. The service will go live in the spring, giving Netflix users who own a $200 Wii quick access to 17,000 movies and television shows. Google Hires Chief for Communications Wall Street Journal Google is hiring Jill Hazelbaker, the former communications head for John McCain's presidential campaign, to run its corporate communications. Google is beefing up on spokespeople with experience in politics as it faces more scrutiny from governments around the globe. Twitter: Startups Cash In With Pay Tweets San Francisco Chronicle As Twitter considers introducing some form of advertising this year, several startups are discovering pay-per-tweet as a way to cash in on the microblogging service's popularity. Big-name advertisers are lining up for campaigns that pay Twitter users up to $10,000 per tweet. Facebook: Online Openness a 'Social Norm' New Media Age Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg claims that online privacy has evolved, with openness now a "social norm." Says Zuckerberg: "People have got more comfortable sharing more information and different with more people. And that social norm has just evolved over time." YouTube Stream Blocked by Supreme Court AllThingsD The U.S. Supreme Court is putting a halt on plans to let YouTube stream coverage of this week's California "Proposition 8" trial aiming to overturn a ban on same-sex marriages. The court didn't explain its reasoning for not allowing the trial to be covered on the video site. AOL to Cut 1,200 Workers to Reach Target Associated Press Struggling Internet company AOL will lay off up to 1,200 workers because it didn't get enough volunteers to accept buyouts. AOL is laying off staffers in the United States and in its European offices. The cuts come following AOL's separation from Time Warner last month. Google Appears to Yank AP Stories in Talks TechCrunch No new Associated Press stories have appeared on Google News since Dec. 23, as the news service renegotiates its licensing deal with the Internet giant. Google appears to be trying to show what will happen if Google News no longer carries AP stories. Google CEO Blames U.S. for Global Crisis Telegraph Google CEO Eric Schmidt says the United States is responsible for the global financial crisis. "The blame is largely in the United States," he says ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Schmidt sees the tech sector leading a global recovery in 2010. Yahoo to Push Ad Role in Online Content MarketWatch Yahoo's new online programming deal with content studio Electus, which is run by former NBC exec Ben Silverman, is expected to push the integration of advertising into dramatic storylines, news and reality shows to new levels. Online "allows you to push things further." Google Offers Local Searches on Mobiles Computerworld Google is announcing Near Me Now, a local mobile app that can display search results on mobile phones showing the locations of nearby businesses. The app has a feature allowing users to get detailed data, such as restaurant reviews and menus. Twitter Hiring Workers to Monetize Tweets Reuters Twitter is hiring engineers and specialists who can help turn it into a money-maker. The Internet startup is building up a team focused on generating revenue. Among the 26 job openings listed on Twitter's site, four are identified as being devoted to "monetization." 'Tweet,' 'Google' Are Voted Top Words UPI Members of the American Dialect Society are naming "tweet" the 2009 word of the year and "google" the word of the decade. "Both words are products of the Information Age, where every person has the ability to satisfy curiosity and to broadcast to a select following." Google to Stop Uploading Books in China Bloomberg Google is agreeing to meet the demands from the China Writers Association, a local writers' organization, and will stop scanning and uploading books to its online library without authors' permission. The Internet giant will "respect the wishes of any Chinese author." Google Objects to Online 'Google Tax' InformationWeek Google fears innovation will be hampered if the French government implements a proposal to tax online advertising revenue to compensate struggling content creators. "The better way to support content creation is to find new business models," says a Google spokesperson. Yahoo Inks Deal With Ben Silverman AllThingsD Yahoo is entering a deal with former NBC entertainment head Ben Silverman, in which he will create online programming for the Internet portal. Silverman joined Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp last year to form a studio to make ad-supported multiplatform content. AOL to Shrink Global Presence in 2010 ClickZ AOL CEO Tim Armstrong says the company will withdraw from some of the 40 countries where it now operates in a move to cut costs. "AOL's international operations have been wildly unprofitable." AOL also plans to shut down or sell off some of its products. Twitter, Google Guys Dine with Hillary AllThingsD U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hosting a dinner for Google CEO Eric Schmidt and a group of digital doers and thinkers. Other luminaries on the guest list: Twitter creator Jack Dorsey, Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain, and New York University professor Clay Shirky. Facebook to Get a VitaminWater Flavor TechCrunch VitaminWater says its newest flavor will be called Connect, complete with a Facebook logo. The new beverage, due out in March, is black cherry-lime flavored with caffeine and "eight key nutrients." Connect is the result of a contest VitaminWater held on its Facebook page. 'Google Tax' Mulled to Help French Media Reuters France could start taxing Internet advertising revenues from Google, using the funds to support its music and publishing industries, which have been hit by the digital revolution. The proposed tax, put forward in a government survey, would also apply to MSN and Yahoo. Twitter: How Much Are Tweets Really Worth? BusinessWeek Google and Microsoft are estimated to be paying Twitter a mere 3 cents for every 1,000 tweets. Their respective deals with Twitter put "almost no value" on the microblogging service's data. "No one has figured out how to make real money off of tweets yet." MySpace Viewers Drop; Web Videos Boom Computerworld As U.S. online video consumption skyrockets, entertainment-heavy MySpace is seeing a drop in both unique viewers and videos served, according to comScore figures. Hulu is speeding past MySpace in number of unique viewers as well as number of videos. Twitter for Cars: Ford Tech Reads Tweets USA Today Now you'll be able hear your tweets on the street. Ford Motor CEO Alan Mulally will announce Thursday that the automaker is incorporating a Twitter application into its Sync in-car communication system that will read incoming tweets aloud. "It's about bringing the Internet to the car." Pandora Bringing Web Radio to Cars Wall Street Journal Pandora is entering a deal with electronics maker Pioneer that promises to make it easier for drivers to listen to its personalized radio service in cars. The development represents a direct challenge to broadcasters of both satellite and traditional radio. Netflix Delays DVD Rentals of New Titles MarketWatch Netflix is entering a deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment that will make new Warner Bros. DVD and Blu-ray titles available for rental 28 days after their release. The deal addresses the shifting preferences of consumers who appear more reluctant to buy DVDs. YouTube to Air Gay Marriage Trial Video San Francisco Chronicle Next week's trial in San Francisco of a lawsuit challenging the initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California won't be televised live, but it will be videotaped for delayed Internet release on YouTube. The coverage will be the first for a federal trial in California. Google Marks Shift Into Online Retailing Bloomberg Google's new Nexus One "super phone" is expected to propel the Internet search engine into online retailing for the first time. By selling directly, Google can forge closer ties to consumers, potentially allowing the company to offer other products and services in the future. Internet Poised to Become Retail Force Chicago Tribune Frugal shoppers are turning to the Internet in droves to compare prices, hunt for bargains, download coupons and seek advice from fellow consumers. Says a former Sears exec: "There's no question the Internet has gone from being a curious sidebar to a main event." Apple Acquires Mobile Ad Firm Quattro Reuters Apple is acquiring Quattro Wireless, as the iPhone maker looks to ramp up its presence in the mobile advertising arena. Quattro's ad network spans mobile Web sites and applications. The company is a competitor to AdMob, which Google announced plans to acquire. Hulu Investor Preps Video Site in China Reuters China's top search engine Baidu is said to be teaming up with Providence Equity Partners, an investor in U.S. video-viewing site Hulu, to set up an online video channel in China. The channel, which will show licensed content, is set to launch in the first quarter. Microsoft to Unveil Its Own Tablet Device New York Times Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to announce a multimedia tablet computer on Wednesday to be made by Hewlett-Packard, just as hype about a rumored similar device from rival Apple peaks. Microsoft's as-yet-unnamed e-reader could be available by mid-year. Amazon to Take Larger Kindle Worldwide Associated Press Amazon will start selling an international version of its larger-screen e-reader, Kindle DX, in an effort to snag more sales around the world. The company already offers an international version of the Kindle. The DX will wirelessly download books in many places around the globe. E-Reader Sales to Double Again This Year PC World Just weeks after Amazon announced its Kindle e-reader was the most gifted item ever from its Web site, the Consumer Electronics Association predicts the good times will continue in 2010 as e-reader sales double again. "Expect to see significant offerings in the e-reader category." AOL Voluntary Layoffs Program Falls Short PC World AOL will have layoffs this year after not enough employees resigned as part of a "voluntary" staff-reduction program in December. Through the program, AOL sought 2,500 employees willing to give up their jobs, more than a third of its global staff at the time of 6,900. Google Officially Unveils 'Super Phone' Barron's Google is taking the wraps off its Nexus One smart phone, describing the new device as part of a category of "super phones." Among its offerings: voice recognition, 3D capabilities and one-click uploads to YouTube. The phone is available through a Google-hosted Web store. Apple to Ship Tablet Device in March Wall Street Journal Apple is expected to unveil a new multimedia tablet device later this month, but isn't planning to ship the product until March. The tablet is believed to let people watch movies and television shows, play games, surf the Internet and read electronic books and newspapers. EA to Release Tiger Woods Web Game Bloomberg Electronic Arts, the video game giant, says it will keep Tiger Woods in the title of its planned online golf game, to be released this month. "Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online" will require a subscription to play, following an initial public testing. The subscription cost hasn't been finalized. Skype to Offer High-Def Video Calling Bloomberg Skype, the Web-based telephone company sold last year by eBay, is introducing a high-definition video calling service that will work on computers and televisions. The latest version of Skype will come preinstalled on some LG Electronics and Panasonic TV sets by June. Google to 'Thaw' Relations With Old Media Financial Times Google is sufficiently confident of growth in advertising revenues that "we are going to be hiring a lot more than we have in the last six months," its execs say. Google is still keen to paint itself as a helpful partner to media companies. Relations with content owners are "thawing." YouTube: Media Firms Should Drop Hulu Financial Times Media companies would be better off handing their online video activities to YouTube than pursuing efforts such as Hulu and the TV Everywhere initiative, Google execs say. Google can do "a better job" than broadcasters' sales teams. "It's a matter of core competences." Twitter Evolves Into 'Information Network' Times of London Twitter is not so much a micro-blogging service as it is a "real-time information network" for sharing news, according to co-founder Biz Stone. "In the new year, Twitter will begin supporting a billion search queries a day. We will be delivering several billion tweets per hour." Facebook Takes Web-Site Rank from Google New York Post Facebook was the most popular U.S. Web site on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, knocking Google out of the top spot, according to Hitwise. This holiday marked the first time Facebook has been No. 1 ever. Also, Facebook ranked as the most popular search term last year. Amazon Says E-Book Sales Beat Print Sales AFP On Christmas Day, for the first time ever, customers bought more electronic books than hard-copy books on Amazon.com, the company says in a statement. The Internet retailer also says that its e-book reader, the Kindle, "has become the most gifted item in Amazon's history." Apple Tablet Device Expected This Month Bloomberg The Apple Tablet computer is expected to be unveiled by CEO Steve Jobs later this month and be sold for less than $1,000. Apple is said to expect to ship 10 million tablet devices in the gadget's first year of release. The Apple Tablet will "look like a large iPhone." Google Phone May Be Unveiled Tuesday Dow Jones Google will host a press event Tuesday pegged to its Android mobile phone operating system, sparking speculation the Internet giant will unveil its own cellphone to compete with Apple's popular iPhone. Google has pinned high hopes on the growing market for mobile advertising. Bono Calls for Control Over Web Downloads New York Times Rock star Bono is calling for tougher controls over the spread of intellectual property online. "The only thing protecting the movie and TV industries from the fate that has befallen the music and newspaper business is the size of the files," he writes in the New York Times. TMZ Plans to Expand With Sports Web Site New York Times Time Warner celebrity news site TMZ plans to launch a sister site devoted to sports. The four-year-old TMZ, which has 110 employees, draws 21 million people worldwide each month,, far more than the sites for entrenched rivals like Us Weekly or "Entertainment Tonight." Netflix to Pitch More Online Films to Studios BusinessWeek Netflix aims to cut deals with Hollywood studios to give the mail-order film-rental service the rights to show more films online. "We have to fight against their fear that we'll destroy the ecosystem," says Netflix exec Ted Sarandos. "We're not destroying; we're creating a new opportunity." Redbox Breaks Its One-Day Rental Record UPI Redbox, $1 DVD rental provider, broke its one-day rental record New Year's Eve with some 2 million DVDs checked out by customers. "With many Americans celebrating New Year's at home and many more resolving to save money in 2010, Redbox proved a great way to do both." Twitter Now Profitable After Search Deals BusinessWeek Twitter is said to have reached profitability after raking in $25 million from the search deals it made in October with Google and Microsoft. The agreements carry sufficient value to help the microblogging service achieve a small profit for 2009. "The deals were huge." Google Eyes Trulia Real Estate Search AllThingsD Google is reported to be in on-again, off-again acquisition talks with Trulia, the real estate search engine. Trulia, which allows users to search for data about homes for sale, is seen as an obvious candidate for the Internet search giant's local and mobile efforts. Yelp Walks From Google Acquisition Deal TechCrunch Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman is said to have walked away from an all-but-signed deal to be acquired by Google for more than half a billion dollars. The deal was believed to be in the later stages of negotiation. "Then something happened that made Yelp reconsider." Sony Signs Media Partners for E-Reader Financial Times Sony is stepping up its battle against Amazon's Kindle e-reader by signing 19 new newspaper and periodical partners for its Reader devices. They include the Financial Times, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. A deal was announced earlier with the Wall Street Journal. Cell Phone Cancer Warning Considered Associated Press Maine Rep. Andrea Boland, D-Sanford, wants to make her state the first to require cell phones to carry warning labels saying they can cause brain cancer, although there is no consensus among experts that they do. Cell phones already carry such warnings in some countries. YouTube Helping Amateurs Make Money USA Today Record labels' music videos are the most-viewed clips on YouTube, but homegrown videos are the most-subscribed-to. One user who produces videos for YouTube says he sees about $8,000 monthly from the video site. YouTube claims many partners earn "six figures" yearly. Facebook Faces Privacy Probe by FTC San Jose Business Complaints about Facebook's new privacy policies are official with the filing of a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. The Electronic Privacy Information Center and other groups claim that the social network's new policies violate federal law. Google Convicted in Copyright Case Associated Press A Paris court is convicting Google in a copyright infringement case over online publication of French books. A judge says the Internet giant must pay $430,000 in damages to French publisher La Martiniere. Google's book scanning project is drawing criticism from publishers. Twitter Hacked by 'Iranian Cyber Army' Sun Hackers calling themselves the Iranian Cyber Army disabled Twitter early Friday morning for hours. They defaced the site with their own images and posted a message in Arabic: "U.S.A think they controlling and managing internet by their access, but they don't." Web Sites Shift From Free to 'Freemium' Bloomberg LinkedIn, ESPN and Skype are among the Web sites that reeled in users with free content and are now boosting sales by adding features that customers have to pay for. The shift to "freemium" reflects a desire by site owners to reduce dependence on advertising. Mobile Internet to Dominate Within 5 Years PC World The mobile Internet is growing faster than its desktop counterpart ever did, and more users may go online via mobile devices than desktop PCs within five years, according to a study by Morgan Stanley. We are "now in the early innings" of mobile Internet development. Microsoft, Google Gain Search Share Associated Press Google and Microsoft boosted their share of Internet searches in November, mostly at the expense of Yahoo, according to comScore. Google remained dominant, handling 65.6% of the 14.4 billion queries logged by Americans. Yahoo fell 0.5 percentage points to 17.5%. Amazon, Google Pact to Help Bloggers Associated Press Bloggers who set up an account with Amazon Associates can quickly make links from their blog to relevant products on Amazon.com and earn referral fees for transactions. Bloggers just highlight text within their blogs while editing and can turn them into links with a few clicks. Pope Aims to Lure Youth via YouTube Bloomberg Pope Benedict XVI, who at 82 still handwrites his speeches, is tapping YouTube, MySpace and podcasts to lure disenchanted youth to the Catholic Church. He now has a MySpace playlist that includes a rap song by Tupac Shakur. His midnight Christmas Mass will be podcast. Hulu to Air New Show by 'Idol' Maker Financial Times "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller will premiere his new show, "If I Can Dream," on Hulu, the video site, months before its expected airing on network television. "Dream" will follow five young people trying to break into show biz, with their every move streamed online. EBay, Craigslist Trial Leaves Regrets Reuters A battle by eBay to regain its board seat on Craigslist has left both sides bloodied and bruised, yet the catfight is likely to continue even after one court trial wraps up this week. A ruling is possible as early as January. But whatever the ruling, litigation is likely to continue. Murdoch Ends YouTube Talks with Google Telegraph News Corp.-controlled BSkyB is pulling out of talks with Google about making the broadcaster's hit shows available for free on YouTube. A Sky spokesman says: "The pay model is at the heart of our business and allows us to invest significantly in high-quality content." Google Seeing Big Growth In Display Ads Dow Jones Google, which generates the vast majority of its revenue from search text advertising, is now making a big push into display ads. The Internet giant says it is seeing "very strong growth," running display ads from 94 of the top 100 advertisers during the past 12 months. YouTube Mulls Subscriptions, Film Rentals Reuters YouTube is considering offering users the option to pay for subscriptions in a bid to encourage more media companies to license premium television shows and movies to the video site. YouTube is already holding talks with major movie studios about renting movies. AOL Traffic Bested by Facebook in U.S. TechCrunch Facebook is surpassing AOL in terms of unique visitors in the United States, according to data from comScore. The social networking site already passed AOL on a global basis in February 2009. AOL just last week celebrated its re-emergence as an independent company. Facebook to Monitor Berlusconi Content New York Times Facebook says it will monitor content on its Web site dealing with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy following an attack at a political rally that left him hospitalized. Facebook shut down a fan page for the man who is accused of hitting Berlusconi on Sunday. Twitter Reveals '09's 'Trending Topics' Twitter Blog Twitter is reviewing the topics and issues that captured global attention over the year. The microblogging site's top Trending Topics present "an interesting time capsule." They include: Swine Flu, Michael Jackson, Harry Potter, American Idol, Super Bowl, Google Wave. Texting Is Edging Out Cell Phone Calls Associated Press The average teen currently sends more than 2,000 text messages per month, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. At the same time, the average length of a cell phone call is declining. "We are moving to a text-based communication system." Google Phone Is Due Out in January Reuters Google plans to sell two versions of its own-branded cellphone: one with a service contract with T-Mobile USA and another that is unlocked, a source says. The phone, manufactured by HTC, is expected to be available directly though Google's Web site as early as Jan. 5. Twitter 'Contributors' Mean Business CNET Twitter is introducing a feature called "Contributors," allowing business accounts to designate other Twitter users, usually employees or public relations, to tweet on their behalf. Tweets will appear as coming from the business' Twitter account but will have a byline. Google, Facebook Bow URL Shorteners Telegraph Google and Facebook are launching their own URL shorteners. Google's goo.gl will be available through Google's Toolbar and its Feedburner RSS feed, but is not yet available as a stand-alone service. Facebook's fb.me is designed for use on mobile devices. Google to Start Selling 'Google Phone' Wall Street Journal Google is expected to roll out its own cellphone as soon as next year. But unlike most cellphones sold in the United States, Google plans to sell its device direct to consumers without a designated carrier. Buyers will have to shop for a wireless provider themselves. AOL to Sell Instant-Messaging Service Wall Street Journal AOL is said to be in talks to sell its ICQ instant-messaging service to Russia's Digital Sky Technologies, an investor in Facebook. Also on the block could be social-networking site Bebo. CEO Tim Armstrong has said that AOL is evaluating shedding non-core assets. Facebook Surpasses E-Mail, Texting Boston Business Facebook is replacing e-mail as a more popular way to keep in touch with friends, says a survey from marketing firm Prompt Communications. Second only to phone calls, Facebook is the second most popular communication tool, followed by text messaging and email. Twitter Earns Millions from Search Deals Times of London Twitter's recent partnerships with Google and Microsoft are giving the microblogging company a solid revenue stream, with each deal said to be worth several million dollars a month. The cash marks the first tangible evidence that Twitter can make money. HuffPost Seeks Revenue from Twitter Advertising Age The Huffington Post is starting to offer marketers the ability to inject their own paid comments among reader comments and place paid Tweets among the live Twitter feeds the site assembles around news subjects and events. Marketers haven't bought in yet. Twitter Stirs Google Acquisition Rumors Telegraph Twitter creator Jack Dorsey is reigniting rumors that Google could buy the microblogging service. When asked if Google plans to buy Twitter, instead of denying the possibility, Dorsey replies: "There have been no announcements." His cryptic answer is stirring buzz. Facebook Makes Move to Kill MySpace Financial Times Facebook, in partnership with ABC, streamed the American Music Awards last month. The world's largest social network is increasingly working to host and promote music and video offerings, encroaching into the entertainment territory of News Corp.'s MySpace. YouTube to Launch Portal for Sports New Media Age YouTube plans to launch a sports hub featuring official video content from some of the world's leading sport organizations and events, including the Commonwealth Games. The video site is entering a multi-territory deal with SportAccord to create the sports portal. 'Hostile' Google Sought to Buy Craigslist Reuters EBay bought a minority stake in Craigslist in 2004 partly to block Google from acquiring the classified ads site, says eBay exec Garrett Price. He adds that Craigslist founder Craig Newmark seemed distressed by his dealings with an unnamed "hostile" party. AOL Brand Hurt By Time Warner Merger Hollywood Reporter AOL chief Tim Armstrong says his company's consumer brand is strong and popular, even though the business brand has been hurt by "possibly the worst merger in history." Mass scale and local content are both part of AOL's strategy going forward, he adds. Microsoft in Local Deal with NBC, Hearst AllThingsD MSN is entering a deal with NBC Universal and Hearst to provide local news and information to the Microsoft consumer portal. The deal encompasses 36 U.S. markets and will provide 3,000 video clips per week, which will be integrated into MSN's Local Edition. Internet Users Want Local TV on Gadgets Wall Street Journal Nearly half of Internet users are interested in watching television on their cellphones, according to a new study from the Open Mobile Video Coalition, a group of broadcasters. Younger consumers and early adopters are particularly interested in local TV. Vevo Debuts as Top 10 Video Web Site Advertising Age Vevo, the new music-video site, is benefiting from Google allowing all YouTube views of its videos to accrue to it -- a move that will likely make the upstart the No. 3 U.S. video site straight out of the gate. Vevo is expected to yield 400 million video views in its first month. Apple to Launch Tablet in Spring 2010 Reuters Apple plans to launch a tablet personal computer in late March or April, with manufacturer partners poised to roll out as many as 1 million units per month, according to an Oppenheimer research note. Apple has also approached publishers, offering a revenue cut of 70%. YouTube: Mobile Is Key to Our Future TechCrunch YouTube is developing content discovery technology that will "make the finding great videos easier for users, based on their profile and past usage," says co-founder Chad Hurley. "We need to work on making uploading through mobile devices far better," he adds. Blockbuster Boosts Challenge to Redbox Los Angeles Times NCR, which is expanding in the DVD kiosk business via a partnership with Blockbuster, is acquiring competitor DVDPlay in a bid to catch up with market leader Redbox. NCR will have 3,800 kiosks in the market by the end of the year; Redbox will have more than 22,000. Twitter Opens 'Firehose' to Developers VentureBeat Twitter is opening up its data stream of tweets, aiming to "share money and success" with its ecosystem of developers. "We will only be as successful as our partners," says Twitter exec Ryan Sarver. Twitter already boasts some 50,000 apps. AOL's Profit Decline May Persist for Years Bloomberg AOL may report declining profit for years after its spinoff from Time Warner. The company's number of access subscribers may hit zero by the end of 2016, down from 5.4 million. "It went from being the gateway to the Internet for millions of Americans to one of many Web sites." TMZ Seeks More Ad Revenue, News Growth Los Angeles Times Time Warner hopes to wring more advertising revenue out of celebrity site TMZ and use some of the money to expand the news operation. The media giant takes full control of TMZ today, after the spinoff of AOL. TMZ also is increasing its presence on mobile phones. Yahoo Open to Selling Off HotJobs Site Reuters Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz is putting a "for sale" sign on HotJobs, saying she is open to selling the non-core unit for the right price. Bartz is shutting down properties deemed nonessential to Yahoo's core strategy as it seeks to cut costs and revive revenue growth. Facebook, Twitter Influence Holiday Buys Bloomberg Social media is influencing 28% of U.S. holiday shoppers in gift-buying decisions this year, according to a survey by ComScore. Shoppers are most swayed by product reviews written by other consumers. "We are getting our first real glimpse at the impact social media will play on commerce." MySpace Buys Imeem for Mobile Apps Associated Press MySpace's online music venture with recording labels is completing its purchase of the song streaming site imeem, scooping up its 16 million users for less than $1 million. MySpace is expected to make use of imeem's mobile-phone application that streams songs. Vevo Eyed to Help Save Music Industry CNET Google CEO Eric Schmidt was honored at the launch party for Vevo, as the Internet giant aims to help another struggling media sector. Google's YouTube is providing the tech know-how for the music-video startup. "Let's hope Vevo can help salvage" the music biz, says Mariah Carey. Google Search to Incorporate Blogs, Twitter San Francisco Chronicle Fresh information from blogs, news sites and Twitter will appear in Google's search results as the company aims to give users a more relevant look at what's happening on the Web. The new feature represents Google's most significant step yet in "real-time" search. Microsoft, Hachette Team for Lifestyle Site AllThingsD MSN plans to launch a lifestyle Web site covering fashion, decor, relationships and beauty. The still-unnamed site, produced with Wonderwall creator BermanBraun, will include content from Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., publisher of Elle and other magazines. CNN Invests in Local News Feed Outside.In Wall Street Journal Time Warner's CNN.com is investing in Outside.In, a startup that feeds neighborhood blogs and other local news and information to the Web sites of newspapers, television stations and other media. Many news outlets see an untapped market in local information. Vevo: Will New Site Be Next-Gen MTV? CNET Video startup Vevo is scheduled to launch Tuesday evening, supported by three of the largest record companies and the tech know-how from YouTube. Vevo, which will present videos from many of the world's biggest recording stars, "is like MTV on steroids." Redbox $1 DVDs Costing Biz $1 Billion Hollywood Reporter A Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. study estimates that $1 DVD rentals from Redbox and others has cost the entertainment industry $1 billion and that the "ripple effect" will cost hundreds of millions more. The fallout could lead to "9,000 related job cuts." Amazon Kindle Eyes Audible, Font Features Associated Press Amazon.com will add two features to the Kindle e-book reader to make the gadget more accessible to blind and vision-impaired users. Audible menus will let the Kindle speak menu options out loud, while an extra-large font will benefit people with impaired vision. Apple Explores New Models with Lala Reuters Apple is acquiring digital music service Lala, which allows users to stream tunes in its catalog of 8 million songs once for free, and then sells unlimited streams for 10 cents per track and MP3 downloads starting at 79 cents. Apple is said to be exploring new models for selling songs. Vevo Music-Video Site May Sign On EMI Bloomberg EMI, the record label of Coldplay and Norah Jones, is close to a revenue-sharing deal with Vevo, the music-video site backed by Universal Music and Sony, launching Tuesday. Vevo, being built by YouTube, emulates Hulu, the advertiser-backed site for television shows. EBay, Craigslist Set to Face Off in Court Dow Jones EBay's war of words with Craigslist is set to be aired in a Delaware court room beginning Monday, with the two sides arguing about the size of the ecommerce giant's minority stake in the online classified leader. Meg Whitman and Craig Newmark are scheduled to testify. Google Acquires Online Word Processor Dow Jones Google is acquiring AppJet, a startup that develops Web-based word processing software enabling people to simultaneously edit documents, the latest in a series of recent deals by the Internet search giant. AppJet will be joining the Google Wave online communication service. Google to Start Streaming Live News Bloomberg Google is starting to stream financial stories and headlines on its investor site, stepping up competition with business-news services. News items on the Google Finance home page and Google's news page are now updated automatically, "as they develop minute by minute." Wikipedia in Lawsuit Over Actor Claim TMZ Actor Ron Livingston is filing a lawsuit against Wikipedia, saying the page about him on the online encyclopedia incorrectly identifies him as gay. Livingston claims someone is changing his Wiki page to say he is in a relationship with a man, which he says is "malicious." Time Warner Set to Drop Also-Ran AOL MarketWatch When AOL and Time Warner announced their $160 billion mega-merger in 2000, few were even aware of a startup called Google. As AOL prepares to spin off from Time Warner this week, analysts point out that Google now "controls the search and advertising world." News Corp Blamed for MySpace Decline Financial Times Shortly after News Corp. acquired MySpace in 2005, the media conglomerate's execs are said to have clashed with site founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson, who were "unused to being told what to do." Users deserted MySpace after it became "cluttered with ads." Google CEO Schmidt Joining Twitter TechCrunch In March, Google CEO Eric Schmidt stirred controversy for describing Twitter as a "sort of poor man's email system." Schmidt is now joining the micro-blogging service. One of his first tweets promotes his Wall Street Journal op-ed on newpapers and online news. Facebook, Twitter Earn Pricey Valuations Wall Street Journal Valuing social-networking companies is a popular sport, with current talk of initial public offerings by Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Advisory firm and market-maker NYPPEX puts the implied value of Facebook at $7.6 billion, LinkedIn at $1.25 billion and Twitter at $1.13 billion. Diller, Twitter Team Up for Businesses New York Times A new deal between Twitter and Barry Diller's Citysearch offers clues about what Twitter's long-awaited paid accounts for businesses might look like. Businesses will now be able to write tweets from their Citysearch page and create a Twitter account from Citysearch.com. Google Launches Dictionary Aggregator Los Angeles Times Google is quietly rolling out Google Dictionary, which serves up definitions online. In addition to Google's own database of definitions, looking up a word on the site provides a list of definitions pulled from a variety of academically authoritative sources, as well as Wikipedia. Microsoft Drops Plan to Pay Publishers Financial Times Microsoft exec Satya Nadella is dismissing the likelihood that the company will pay publishers for removing their content from Google. The software giant was reported to be in talks with News Corp. and others about paying them to remove their sites from the Internet search leader. AOL CEO Armstrong Needs a New Hip BusinessWeek AOL chief Tim Armstrong needs hip replacement surgery, stemming from a high-school football injury. But he is too busy saving AOL, which on Dec. 10 will finally separate from Time Warner. As local newspapers wither away, AOL is recasting itself as a content company. Friendster May Be Sold by Month's End Reuters Friendster, one of the world's earliest social networking sites, is expected to be sold to an Asian buyer by the end of December for at least $100 million. Friendster, which predates Facebook and MySpace, was founded in 2002. But it quickly lost ground to other social networks. Redbox Blames Stores for DVD Shortage Los Angeles Times Redbox is having trouble stocking DVDs from the three studios it is battling in court -- 20th Century Fox, Universal and Warner Bros. -- and is blaming retailers for the problem. A lawsuit says studios are leaning on retailers to curtail sales of DVDs to the rental kiosk firm. DailyCandy to Drop Editions, Employees WWD DailyCandy is revealing major changes to its business, the same day majority owner Comcast completes its deal with NBC Universal. DailyCandy will eliminate seven of its local daily newsletters, in major markets including Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Google: News Biz Woes Aren't Our Fault Guardian Privately, some within Google maintain that it is not their fault if media companies cannot monetize the traffic they are being sent by the search engine. "Each new click, each reader they get, represents a business opportunity," says Google News chief Josh Cohen. Google Fast Flip Aims to Help Newspapers Wall Street Journal Google is serious about helping the challenged news business, writes CEO Eric Schmidt. The Internet giant is testing a service called Google Fast Flip, which aims to "make it easier to read articles." News partners will receive most of the advertising revenue. Redbox Talking With Video Game Makers Reuters Redbox is talking with video game developers about offering their products in its DVD kiosks and hopes to avoid the kind of resistance it encountered from some Hollywood studios, says Redbox head Mitch Lowe. Several film studios have cut off Redbox's access to their DVDs. AOL Passed Over for S&P 500 Inclusion Bloomberg AOL is being passed over for inclusion in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, forcing fund managers who track the benchmark for U.S. stocks to dump shares of the Internet pioneer. "It's a declining business model," says Hennessy Advisors money manager Frank Ingarra. Apple iPhone Users Will Pay for Content PC World Apple iPhone owners are more than willing to open up their wallets for digital content, says a new survey by Olswang. Some 42% of U.K. adults say they would for a digital book and 38% would pay for a digital magazine. Conde Nast charges $3 for its GQ iPhone app. Yahoo More Social With Facebook Tie-In New York Post Yahoo and Facebook are announcing a deal that allows users to share content and information such as status updates in real time across their respective Web sites. The deal allows Yahoo to evolve from a static information hub into more of a social network. Google Backs Down to Media on Free News New York Post Google is making a play to appease media companies, allowing them to cap free news access. Now readers can only access a paid site five times a day through Google. The move comes as publishers gather in Washington to discuss the digital threats facing journalism. News Corp, Microsoft Reports Overplayed Reuters Reports that News Corp. and Microsoft are in talks for an exclusive deal that would exclude Google are said to be overblown. The financial basis for a deal may not be as strong as previously thought. "The economics do not seem to be there for [a] common arrangement." Murdoch Says Web Aggregators Should Pay Bloomberg Rupert Murdoch, speaking in Washington at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's workshop on journalism in the Internet age, says news aggregators must pay to distribute his company's news articles. "It's not fair use. To be impolite, it's theft." Arianna Says Free Online News Here to Stay Huffington Post Arianna Huffington insists free online content is here to stay, in her address at the FTC journalism gathering. "Desperate" publishers need to "stop whining" and get busy figuring out how to make free content work for them, she says. "The news has become social." Huffington Post Launches Local Site for LA WWD Arianna Huffington is launching The Huffington Post Los Angeles today. "There are a lot of conversations going on in Los Angeles," says Huffington, who previously launched local sites for Chicago, New York and Denver. The new site will be led by Willow Bay and Billy Silverman. Facebook, Twitter Data Use Sparks Lawsuit Bloomberg The Electronic Frontier Foundation says it sued the U.S. Justice Department to get information about policies for using social networks including Facebook and Twitter in investigations, data collection and surveillance. The government "hasn't clarified" of its use of social networks. Twitter is Most Popular Word as Use Drops WSJ / WebProNews "Twitter" is the most popular word of 2009, according to the Global Language Monitor, a group that tracks English-language trends. Also: New Twitter registrations continue to decline, yet tweets continue to increase. Current users are using Twitter "more than ever." Google May Face Mounting PR Problem Newser Rupert Murdoch, the New York Times and the new book "Googled" are among the increasing voices that blame the fall of the traditional media industry on Google. Old media "may not be able to maintain its business model, but it can still deliver bad press." Microsoft Develops Twitter-Style Service IDG News Microsoft is launching a microblog-style service in China based on Windows Live Messenger, expanding the social-networking functions linked to the chat software. The new service, called MSN Juku, lets users post 140-character messages to an update screen. Bloggers to Disclose Freebies, Payments Boston Globe Beginning today, bloggers, Twitterers and others who write online reviews or endorse products using new media must disclose it if they receive free merchandise or payment for writing about an item, per new guidelines from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Cyber Monday Sales See 'Best-Ever' Rise Bloomberg U.S. online sales are up 16% from a year ago as consumers hunted for bargains on Cyber Monday, according to online marketing firm Coremetrics. The recession pushed more consumers to the Internet, where they can easily compare prices and search for discounts. Google Phone a 'Certainty,' Source Says Gizmodo The Google Phone "is a certainty," according to "a trusted source who's seen it with their own eyes." Prototypes of the new Google-branded handsets will "flood" the Internet giant's Mountain View, Calif., campus within weeks. The phones will run a new version of Android. Facebook, MySpace In Predator Crackdown New York Daily News More than 3,500 convicted New York state sex predators are being booted from Facebook and MySpace, in the first sweep of registered sex offenders under the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act. Facebook alone disabled 3,410 accounts. YouTube Seeks to Stream TV Shows for a Fee AllThingsD YouTube is said to be in preliminary talks with the networks and studios to stream individual television shows online for a fee. Google's video site envisions something similar to what Apple and Amazon already offer: First-run shows, without commercials, for $1.99 an episode. Microsoft Unlikely to Fund Google Boycott Associated Press Microsoft reportedly wants to undercut Google so badly in Internet search that it might pay newspapers to withhold their content from Google. However, the software giant is unlikely to fund a Google boycott, according to people familiar with Microsoft's talks with publishers. AOL Readies New-Media Production System Wall Street Journal AOL is developing a high-tech system for mass-producing news articles and other content, the linchpin of CEO Tim Armstrong's strategy after Time Warner spins it off next month. AOL plans to allow marketers to work with its editorial team to create custom content. Hulu Expected to Move to Closed Model BusinessWeek Hulu is expected to start testing subscription tiers for its programs in the new year, according to those who work with the video site. Also, Hulu is in early-stage talks with cable operators to limit access to those viewers who can prove they already pay for a cable subscription. Vevo Music Video Service Ready to Debut USA Today Vevo, the long-awaited online music video site backed by Vivendi's Universal Music and Sony Music, is due to launch next Tuesday. Vevo aims to grab people's attention by displaying lyrics, allowing fans to chat with each other and offering video quality close to HDTV. Twitter Denies Subscription Plan for Japan Media Asia After reports surfaced of Twitter's plans to establish a paid-for model for select accounts in Japan, the company is now denying it intends to launch such a service, saying the idea was announced to air "potential business opportunities." Twitter users reacted negatively to the reports. Amazon Promises Update for Kindle Device Wired Amazon says it is working on an update for its Kindle e-reading device that will help users organize their "growing libraries." In a post on Facebook, the company says it will release the new functionality "as an over-the-air software update as soon as it is ready." Twitter Guys: Media Person of the Year? New York Post Both Gawker boss Nick Denton and celebrity editor Bonnie Fuller say the Twitter Guys would get their votes for 2009 Media Person of the Year. The eighth annual online poll by I Want Media opens Monday. Other contenders include Rupert Murdoch, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey. Twitter Eyes Acquisitions, Making Money Reuters Twitter is interested in making more acquisitions, says co-founder Biz Stone. "That is something we are definitely interested in." He adds that there is nothing specific on the horizon. "As our attention is grabbed by some of these developers, we will take a hard look at them." Google Buys Display Advertising Startup Dow Jones Google plans to acquire display advertising startup Teracent, which has developed machine learning algorithms designed to deliver optimized Web ads in real time. The acquisition is Google's latest move to bolster its presence in the online display ad market. Microsoft Talks of Bing News Exclusives Financial Times Microsoft is offering different terms to different publishers as it seeks to boost Bing by paying some content owners to cut their sites off from Google. Microsoft is also discussing deals in which news would be provided to Bing earlier than it appears on Google News. TiVo, Google Team Up in TV Data Deal Variety TiVo is pacting with Google to provide analytical information to advertisers about viewers who watch television via the DVR service. Through the Google TV ads program, TiVo will supply highly detailed data never previously reported to Google TV ad clients. Hulu Adds Tagging for Movies, TV Shows CNET Hulu, the movie and television show streaming service, is adding tagging to the mix, allowing users to add up to 30 tags to each piece of content for the sake of organization. These tags also work site-wide, which means that users can view all types of related content. Web Piracy Fight Eyes Audience Perception Chicago Sun-Times Pirated versions of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" were available online within hours of its release in movie theaters. But as the entertainment industry continues to battle online piracy, a new generation growing up on the Web doesn't see the so much harm. Perez Hilton Among Most Important on Twitter Reuters Perez Hilton, Ashton Kutcher and Mashable are among the highest scorers on TweetLevel, a free tool that measures the importance of a user on Twitter. The tool, developed by public-relations firm Edelman, uses an algorithm that ranks the quality and quantity of tweets. Wikipedia Volunteers Flee From New Rules Wall Street Journal Wikipedia is losing unprecedented numbers of the millions of online volunteers who write and edit the world's fifth-most-popular Web site. As rules for editing the user-generated encyclopedia proliferate, Wikipedia is "becoming a more hostile environment." Google Faces Threat from Twitter, Facebook Globe and Mail As Google ends its first decade atop the online world, its biggest threat may be the evolving social networks that allow users to query a close circle of trusted sources for information. Twitter and Facebook "are a real potential threat," says "Googled" author Ken Auletta. Twitter Ad Business Planned for Early 2010 Bloomberg Twitter says it is generating sales of more than $4 million a year and plans to build on that revenue with advertising in early 2010. Ads, says COO Dick Costolo, will be "organic and in the flow of the way people already use Twitter -- and not, 'Here's the tweets and here are the ads.'" Microsoft, News Corp Talk Google Content Financial Times Microsoft is said to be in early stage talks with News Corp. and other publishers about the possibility of paying them to remove their sites from Google's search index, setting the scene for a search engine battle that could offer a ray of light to newspapers. AOL Prepares for Post-Time Warner Look CNET AOL is unveiling a "new brand identity" for its post-Time Warner era, slated to begin Dec. 10 when it begins life as a separate company. A new plain text logo will be presented with various backdrops. AOL's niche blogs are to become the company's new centerpiece. AOL-Time Warner Divorce to Take Toll Associated Press AOL plans to cut one-third of its workforce ahead of next month's spinoff from Time Warner. The struggling Internet outfit is looking for up to 2,500 employees to voluntarily accept buyouts starting Dec. 4, just days before the divorce from its parent company. Google Wins Early OK for Books Deal Bloomberg Google and a group of authors and publishers won preliminary approval of a revised settlement over the company's plans to make millions of books available online. Books are limited to those published in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Canada. The final hearing is set for Feb. 18. YouTube Videos Add Automatic Captions AFP Google, in a development for deaf Internet users, is adding automatic caption capability to videos on YouTube. The captions will initially be available only in English and on videos from 13 YouTube "partner channels" but it hopes to extend the feature to all videos on the site. Facebook Becomes a Popular Video Site CNET YouTube might still reign supreme in online video, but the big surprise coming out of Nielsen's VideoCensus release is that Facebook is now the world's third most popular place to view video online. Facebook easily beat out Bing, Yahoo and several other online sites. Yahoo Adds News 'Shortcut' With Tweets V3.co.uk Yahoo is adding a feature to its search service which the company hopes will improve coverage of breaking news. The new "Shortcut" component will not only display news on breaking stories, but also offer related Twitter posts as well as photos and video files. Twitter to Help News Outlets Monetize New Media Age Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says that tools to help brands and publishers monetize their Twitter presence are close to launch. He adds that services will help news publishers generate extra revenues online. "We look forward to opening up the doors to news organizations." Microsoft's Xbox to Woo TV Advertisers New York Post Microsoft's Xbox videogame console, which streams television shows, movies and original content, is seeking to woo ad buyers by measuring its audience in the same way that Nielsen tracks traditional TV viewers. Advertisers are "very comfortable" with the notion. Hulu Signs Up EMI to Take On YouTube Los Angeles Times EMI Music is becoming the first major music company to agree to distribute its music videos and concert footage on Hulu. Music videos already have shown appeal for rival online video site YouTube, which is working with Universal Music to develop the music video site Vevo. Vevo, 'Hulu for Music,' Sets Launch Date GigaOM Vevo, the premium music video site developed by major labels Universal and Sony in conjunction with Google, says it will launch on Dec. 8. Vevo is frequently touted as a "Hulu for music," a premium alternative to YouTube's comparatively lo-fi music video offerings. MySpace Buys Imeem for Music Service CNET MySpace is acquiring Imeem, the advertising-supported music service. Imeem's assets are expected to be folded into the underachieving MySpace Music. Imeem had struggled to convince advertisers that streaming music was a good vehicle for delivering ads. Sony Steps Ups Production of E-Reader Bloomberg Sony, squaring off against Amazon's Kindle, says sales of its Reader Touch Edition device are exceeding expectations and the company is increasing supply to meet demand for the holiday season. "The big shift over from analog to digital is happening in the reading space." Apple Tablet Device Reportedly Delayed DigiTimes Apple reportedly plans to postpone the launch of its tablet device from an original March launch to the second half of 2010, as it decides to switch some components. The Apple tablet could retail for as much as $2,000. The price could be more flexible if bundled with 3G services. AOL to Sell Assets in New Content Focus AllThingsD AOL, which is set to spin off next month from Time Warner, is selling off peripheral properties in an effort to become a smaller, more focused content company. AOL is putting its ICQ instant-messaging unit up for sale. Next on the block could be the MapQuest map service. Facebook: Ready to Go Public in 2010? Bloomberg The price of Facebook stock on exchanges for private companies is up some 42% in recent months as site membership tops 300 million users and the company turns cash flow positive. Facebook, analysts say, could sell stock through an IPO in the next 12 months. Google Phone Is Very Real, Coming Soon TechCrunch Google is said to be building its own branded phone, which the Internet giant will sell directly and through retailers. Google hoped to have the phone available by the holidays, but it has now slipped to early 2010. The phone will be produced by "a major manufacturer." AdMob: Interactive Video Ads for iPhones CNET AdMob, the mobile advertising network that Google plans to acquire for $750 million, is announcing that it is supporting a new kind of iPhone ad -- interactive video. The ads will allow Apple iPhone users to surf the Web and check out other videos while a video ad is playing. Murdoch, Google Poised to Start 'Web War' InformationWeek The Web is in danger of becoming segmented into a federation of closed camps led by the likes of Google, Microsoft, Apple and Rupert Murdoch. So says Internet pundit Tim O'Reilly, during a keynote address at the Web 2.0 Expo. "We're heading back into an ugly time." Yahoo, Microsoft Near Search-Ad Agreement AllThingsD Yahoo and Microsoft are poised to finally sign the definitive agreement that will govern the complex and far-reaching search and online advertising partnership that they struck in late July. A deal could be signed by the end of the week, "if all goes well." Microsoft Zaps Downloads on Illegal Xboxes New York Post Microsoft is zapping a key feature in 1 million outlawed Xboxes, which will have to be replaced with new consoles. In its biggest single attack on video-game pirates, Microsoft is permanently banning the units, which the company believes allow for downloading pirated software. Paul Allen, Microsoft Co-Founder, Has Cancer CNET Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to a memo sent to employees of Vulcan, his company. Allen is a survivor of Hodgkin's disease. "He is optimistic he can beat this, too. Paul is feeling OK and remains upbeat." Apple Tablet: One Tech Gadget for All Media CNN Buzz is building for Apple's forthcoming tablet device. Rumors are circulating that the magazine-sized, touch-screen, hand-held, all-in-one device will simultaneously "kill off the Kindle and iPod" while saving newspapers and magazines, and allowing users to even watch television. Google Enters YouTube Deal With Univision Dow Jones Google is teaming up with Univision to make the Spanish-language broadcaster's videos available on YouTube in the coming months. Google says Univision will use its content tracking technology so it can also monetize company content that is uploaded by YouTube users. YouTube Bows Channel for Citizen Journos Hollywood Reporter Celebrities beware: YouTube is making it even easier for anyone with a camera phone to turn your behavior into news. The video site is launching YouTube Direct, a free tool enabling news organizations to obtain -- and even request -- video from amateur citizen journalists. MySpace to Buy iMeem Music Streaming Site TechCrunch MySpace is said to be in late stage talks to acquire music streaming service iMeem. Such a move would be "a blow for free streaming music lovers." iMeem and MySpace are among the last free U.S. music streaming services. MySpace Music is expected to add subscriptions. Twitter to End User List Seen as Partisan Associated Press Twitter plans to end its "suggested users" list, which links prominent message posters with new users. The service was criticized in California because of perceived unfairness toward GOP gubernatorial candidates. "That list will be going away," says co-founder Biz Stone. Facebook's 'Unfriend' Is Word of the Year San Jose Business Facebook fans will recognize the New Oxford American Dictionary's 2009 Word of the Year: Unfriend. "Verb: To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook." Word of the Year finalists include: Hashtag, known for its use in Twitter. Google's Revised Book Deal to Set Limits CNET A newly revised settlement over Google's right to scan digital books places additional limits on the company. The deal allows out-of-print books from only English-speaking countries to be scanned and restricts the ways that Google can make money from digitizing out-of-print titles. Facebook Usage Declines Among 18-24s Adweek As Facebook broadens its audience, the older teens and twentysomethings that drove the social-networking site's initial popularity are using it less. Facebook's cool factor may be waning. "When you start getting friended by your grandmother, that's when it starts to lose its cool." Twitter: Celebs Hawk Products in Tweets The Wrap Celebrities have found a way to make money by tweeting. Kim Kardashian, Joel McHale, Dr. Drew, Nicole Richie and husband Joel Madden and Audrina Patridge from "The Hills" are just a few of the names who have signed up endorsement deals for their Twitter accounts. Microsoft Woos Newspapers in Google Fight TechCrunch Microsoft is said to have held a secret meeting with European publishers to discuss giving newspapers "premium positions" on the Bing search engine, in an effort to launch an assault on Google. However, there is little detail on how such a plan would work. AOL to Focus on Content After Time Warner Dow Jones AOL, after it spins off from Time Warner, will refocus on online media content and branded display advertising in a bid to capture marketing dollars as they migrate online, says CEO Tim Armstrong. The next phase of the Internet's evolution, Armstrong says, will be content. Twitter Trouble: U.S. Visitors Declining TechCrunch Twitter's growth in the United States is stalling. In October, the number of U.S. visitors to Twitter actually declined for the first time by 8% month-over-month. New estimates put Twitter's U.S. unique visitors at 19.2 million, down from 20.9 million in September. Yahoo Hires Editor For Home Page News WebProNews Yahoo is hiring Anthony Moor, deputy managing editor for interactive news at the Dallas Morning News, to act as lead editor of the Internet company's local news effort. Moor tweets that he will "build staff of editors around US who will improve the local news experience." U.S. Regulators Eye Social Media Sites Reuters Drug makers, Internet companies and nonprofits are calling for clarity on what is a gray area for U.S. health regulators: how drug promotion on Twitter, Wikipedia, blogs and other social media can be regulated. Advertisers are said to be "confused." AOL Expected to Make Big Staff Cuts Washington Business AOL, which cut about 100 jobs earlier this week, is likely preparing for much larger reductions as it gets ready for its spinoff from Time Warner. AOL expects to incur restructuring charges of some $200 million shortly after the spinoff and through the first half of 2010. Twitter Value Much Less Than $1 Billion CNET Twitter's value is somewhere between $526 million and $674 million, rather than the most recent valuation of $1 billion, says a study by Next Up Research. Also, Twitter's growth momentum is likely to be stunted as it rolls out a revenue model, which may alienate some users. YouTube to Let Users 'Skip' Some Ads ClickZ YouTube is adding a "skip" button to some pre-roll ads, in a test it hopes will improve user experience and lead to better ad creative. The ultimate goal, says YouTube, is to create a scenario where advertisers pay only for ads users watch in full or engage with some other way. Google: AdMob Will Expand Mobile Ads Bloomberg Google CEO Eric Schmidt says his company's $750 million purchase of AdMob will expand sales of ads that appear in apps on smart phones. Together, AdMob and Google will be the largest mobile-ad company. Ad-supported apps could become "a big business." Google, Yahoo Offer Free WiFi for Holidays Associated Press Google, Yahoo, eBay and Microsoft -- rivals on the Web -- all have the same idea for marketing themselves this holiday season: temporarily providing free Wi-Fi access in airports, airplanes and public places. Google will offer free Wi-Fi in 47 U.S. airports. Murdoch 'Less Powerful' Than Google Hollywood Reporter Forbes' inaugural list of the world's most powerful people has News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch at No. 7, ahead of figures like Pope Benedict XVI at No. 11. Murdoch, however, is bested by Google guys Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who rank at No. 5. President Obama is No. 1. AOL Axes 100 Employees Ahead of Spinoff New York Post AOL is laying off about 100 staffers ahead of the unit's spinoff from Time Warner next month. The cuts span all areas, keeping with CEO Tim Armstrong's mandate to reorganize AOL around four pillars: advertising, editorial, local, and communications like IM and e-mail. LinkedIn, Twitter Link Up to Share Updates Reuters LinkedIn and Twitter are linking up to allow their users to cross-file to each other's services. LinkedIn users who cross-post will be speaking both to their followers and to the broader Twitter audience. Twitter "wants to take advantage of the strong identity in LinkedIn." Twitter Feed 'S&*%' Eyed for CBS Sitcom Hollywood Reporter CBS plans to develop a sitcom based on the Twitter feed "S&*% My Dad Says." The feed, with over 700,000 followers, is updated by Justin Halpern, who moved back home with his dad and started tweeting his father's cynical comments. The title is expected to be changed. Google to Buy Mobile Ad Startup for $750M Associated Press Google is acquiring mobile advertising network AdMob for $750 million, as the Internet search leader aims to extend its marketing prowess to the growing number of people surfing the Web on phones. U.S. mobile advertising is forecast to reach $1.6 billion by 2013. Electronic Arts to Slash Jobs, Buy Playfish Los Angeles Times Electronic Arts plans to cut 1,500 jobs, more than 16% of its workforce, even as the game publisher announces plans to acquire online game developer Playfish for $400 million. The moves come as the firm reports a revenue decline from its packaged games business. AOL Due to Cut 100 Prior to Mass Layoffs AllThingsD AOL is expected to cut 100 jobs across the company, prior to the mass layoffs that will come after its spinoff from Time Warner is complete by the end of the year. AOL insiders say the company is likely to do a massive layoff of upwards of 1,000 employees. Google News May Be Blocked by Murdoch Guardian Rupert Murdoch says he will consider removing news articles from Google's search index as a way to encourage people to pay for content online. Google, Microsoft and Ask.com "simply just pick up everything and run with it." Murdoch says. "We say they steal our stories." Martha Ex-CEO Susan Lyne to AOL Board Dow Jones AOL is appointing Susan Lyne, the former CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, to its board of directors, as the online company continues to put its leadership together ahead of its spinoff from Time Warner. The spinoff is still expected before year-end. Sony Offers Movie to People With Its TVs Associated Press In a bid to sell living room electronics and spur buzz for "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," Sony is offering the movie for free to buyers of its Internet-connected television sets and Blu-ray players starting Monday. "What we're doing is game-changing for TV." Fox Making Film DVDs More Interactive Hollywood Reporter Fox hopes to boost the value of some upcoming DVD releases with a free downloadable app allowing users to access facts, photos, games and trivia questions related to the movie they are watching. Users also can use Facebook and Twitter to add their own comments. Microsoft Sees Ad Potential in Video Games Mediaweek Microsoft believes it has cracked the code on how best to bring advertising into the vast video-game universe. The software giant will host an Advertising Gaming Upfront at Lincoln Center in New York on Thursday, during which it will unveil several new partnerships. MySpace to Home In on 'The Interestnet' WSJ / FT News Corp. digital head Jon Miller is speaking of a new strategy -- "The Interestnet." "Facebook is what people are up to; MySpace is what people are in to." Also: News Corp. is paying $1 million a month on an empty office complex in Los Angeles that was meant for MySpace. Twitter to Produce More Newsworthy Tweets New York Times Twitter plans to unveil a "geolocation" feature that will make the flood of tweets on a particular subject more relevant. Twitter will employ GPS on cellphones to allow users to include a precise location with each tweet. "Proximity can be this proxy for relevance." Google: We 'Desperately' Need Old Media Fox Business Google CEO Eric Schmidt is addressing the talk of his company's interest in buying the New York Times or other media outlets: "We had a series of conversations, and we ultimately decided to not to get into content. ... We're better off powering it, not writing it and owning it." Apple's Jobs Named CEO of the Decade Fortune Fortune magazine is naming Apple chief Steve Jobs as "CEO of the Decade." Innovations like the iPod, iTunes and iPhone helped Jobs clinch the title, the magazine says. Jobs has "radically reshaped" music, movies and mobile. "The past decade in business belongs to Jobs." Internet, Cellphone Users Are 'More Social' Associated Press The Internet and mobile phones are not linked to social isolation, says a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Online activities such as e-mail, blogging and Facebook can lead to larger social networks. Users of social media are "more likely to visit a bar." MySpace $900 Million Google Deal at Risk Financial Times MySpace, once the centerpiece of Rupert Murdoch's digital strategy, has fallen "significantly" short of expectations and is jeopardizing a $900 million Internet search deal with Google. MySpace is still losing traffic, says News Corp. "It's a business in transition." Activision: 'Warfare' May Outsell Top Films Bloomberg Activision's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," to be released Tuesday, could surpass the top Hollywood films of 2009 in sales, according to CEO Bobby Kotick. "Modern Warfare" has the potential to be "the biggest entertainment launch and not just of a video game." AOL Dents Time Warner Ahead of Spinoff New York Times Time Warner's third quarter results make it abundantly clear why the media conglomerate can't wait to spin off AOL. "More than half of the total revenue decline was a result of the continued drop in AOL subscription revenue" and changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Microsoft to Cut 800 Additional Jobs Seattle Times Microsoft is cutting 800 more jobs as part of broad cutbacks announced in January. The initial target was to cut 5,000 jobs, but the layoff number now totals 5,800. The software giant isn't ruling out additional cuts ahead as it changes "focus on different businesses." RealNetworks to Lay Off 70 Employees AllThingsD RealNetworks is said to be planning to lay off 70 employees. The reasons for the layoffs are -- as is the case at Seattle neighbor Microsoft -- to realign the work force after the economic downturn and to control costs. RealNetworks could also hire back some staffers. Google Declares War on Facebook With Ads Daily Beast Google is announcing that it is putting a few new bells and whistles on its Friend Connect software, allowing visitors to post and read others' user profiles. But unlike Facebook, advertisements on Friend Connect will be targeted to individuals based on their profiles. IAC: CollegeHumor May Go to Silverman Advertising Age Barry Diller's IAC is considering moving its CollegeHumor site into Ben Silverman's nascent branded-entertainment company, Electus. The shift would give former NBC exec Silverman an incentive to sell both television and Web concepts to networks and brands. Skype Founders to Join Buyout from EBay Bloomberg The founders of Skype are said to be joining the investor group buying the Internet calling service from eBay, and an announcement may come today. Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis will take a stake in the company alongside a group led by private-equity firm Silver Lake. EBay Launches Online Fashion Magazine New York Times EBay is unveiling The Inside Source, an online magazine about fashion trends, written and edited by glossy magazine writers and pitching the trendiest items for sale on the auction site. Editorial director Meredith Barnett is a former editor at Lucky, the shopping magazine. YouTube Video Dealmaker Exits Company Bloomberg YouTube exec Jordan Hoffner, who helped forge deals with Time Warner and Disney as director of content partnerships, is leaving the company. He will be replaced by colleague Chris Maxcy. Hoffner, who joined in 2006, is taking a job at IAC's Electus site. Google to Help Web-Site Registrations InternetNews Google is making available a technology aimed at allowing users to securely register at Web sites without having to go through a lengthy sign-up process. The technology, called hybrid onboarding, was first employed by Plaxo and is already used by Facebook and Yahoo. Yahoo Seeks Partner for Real-Time Search Reuters Yahoo is looking to match rivals Google and Microsoft in providing real-time Internet search results, running tests with several search partners, including OneRiot. Last month, Google and Microsoft announced deals to make Twitter messages retrievable by their search engines. Microsoft's MSN Adds Twitter, Facebook Associated Press Microsoft is giving its MSN Web portal a long-overdue makeover and says it hopes the new site will funnel more people to its search engine, Bing. The refreshed msn.com will display status updates on Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft's own Windows Live. Apple iPhone Threatens Amazon Kindle InformationWeek The number of e-books available for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch through the App Store surpassed the leading category, games, in September for the first time -- an indication that the devices could grab market share from Amazon's Kindle, says research firm Flurry. Twitter to Get Its Own Handheld Device Wall Street Journal Twitter is collaborating with Peek Inc. to develop a mobile device built exclusively for sending tweets. Clad in "Twitter blue," the TwitterPeek device aims to be an affordable alternative to expensive smartphones. The TwitterPeek sells for $99 with a $7.95 monthly fee. Microsoft, OpenX to Boost Online Ad Biz Los Angeles Times Microsoft and OpenX, which operates one of the largest U.S. Web advertising networks, are entering a deal that will enable both companies to expand the reach of their online ad businesses. Microsoft will use its clout to refer larger corporate clients to OpenX. Apple Eyes Offering TV Shows on iTunes New York Post Apple wants television networks to get on board with an all-you-can eat iTunes service that would let subscribers download unlimited TV shows for around $30 a month. Apple is said to be pitching the idea to cable and broadcast networks, but no moves are imminent. Best Buy Preps Web Store for TV Shows Bloomberg Electronics retail giant Best Buy plans to start an online store for television shows and movies that will compete with Apple's iTunes. The content will be stored on servers so people can watch on any device. "We're creating movies in the cloud," says Best Buy boss Dave Habiger. Google, Obama Love Affair Expected to End Times of London Google and authors' reps are to submit a renegotiated deal next Monday in the Internet giant's project to digitize books. Legal experts are not expecting an easy agreement. Increased scrutiny could mean more anti-trust questions about Google's dealings with advertisers. Ex-MySpace CEO Mulls Move in Social Gaming CNET Former MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe is said to be planning to move into social gaming by buying up smaller gaming companies. DeWolfe is reportedly working on the new venture with Aber Whitcomb, who recently left his role as MySpace's chief technology officer. Google Introduces AdWords Comparison Ads Search Engine Land Google is testing a new advertising feature, AdWords Comparison Ads, which lets users compare multiple offers more easily. The service is starting with mortgage advertisers and may expand to other products in the future. The comparisons result in "more qualified leads." Apple TV 3.0 Launches in Sync With iTunes San Jose Business Apple is updating its Apple TV software, providing a new interface with direct access to rented and purchased movies as well as compatibility with several new iTunes features. However, the new generation of Apple TV is taking some flak for not adding a Blu-ray player. AOL Scheduled to Spin Off in Mid-December Business Insider Time Warner plans to spin off its AOL Internet unit in mid-December, according to sources. One "super solid source" involved with the planning says an exact date hasn't been announced internally, but that a mid-December spin-off is the goal of CEO Tim Armstrong. Google Enters Music Business -- Without Apple CNBC Google is unveiling its much-anticipated new music search, which will allow users to quickly find songs, sample them and buy them from several online music stores, including LaLa, Rhapsody, Pandora, MySpace -- but not Apple's iTunes. The iTunes omission "is notable." YouTube: U2 Concert Webcast Sets Record Variety YouTube's live webcast of U2's "360" concert at the Rose Bowl on Sunday generated 10 million streams across the globe, making it the single-largest streaming event in the video site's five-year history. The video has since drawn more than 1 million views after three days. Google Plots Course for Ad-Supported GPS New York Post Google is plotting a course into the GPS market by offering a phone-based navigation system for free. The new Google Maps Navigation -- which provides turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions -- could become ad-supported, the Internet giant says. Google: Our Service Shouldn't Be Regulated Bloomberg Google, in a reply to a query from U.S. regulators, says its Google Voice service isn't subject to communications regulation because it's free to most users, and because as an invitation-only application it isn't a public service. Furthermore, it doesn't compete with the likes of AT&T. Microsoft Seen as Diller's Best Bet for Ask.com Reuters Microsoft is the most likely buyer for IAC's Ask.com if CEO Barry Diller decides to throw in the towel on the struggling search engine, analysts say. "Microsoft wants share so they could pick up those points from Ask. There's no place for a third player in search." Media Pros Debate Mainstream, New Media Washington Square News A debate titled "Good Riddance to Mainstream Media" pitted three pro-mainstream media panelists against three pro-new media panelists. New York Times media columnist David Carr displayed a printout of Newser, with aggregated stories cut out, leaving virtually no content. Amateurs Rival Professionals on the Web Wall Street Journal Journalism and advertising are among the professions being rocked by the age of the "amafessional," writes Mark Penn, when amateurs are rivaling professionals in opportunity, talent and the ability to produce quality work online. "No profession these days is immune." Barry Diller: I'm Ready to Invest in Content Hollywood Reporter Barry Diller's IAC is ready to invest in content production to make content a potential new core business. "Our commitment to this area is real," he says. IAC's emerging content businesses include the Daily Beast and a partnership with Ben Silverman on his new outfit, Electus. Twitter Has Big Plans for $100M Funding CNET Twitter didn't rake in $100 million last month because it was about to run out of money, says investor Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital, speaking at a panel discussion. Twitter raised money because it wants to "hire new people, launch new products, strike partnerships." Courtney Love: First Celebrity Libel Tweeter LA Daily News A judge is denying a bid by Courtney Love to dismiss a lawsuit by fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir, who claims that the star used Twitter to disseminate "an obsessive crusade" of libel. Love is the first celebrity to be sued for allegedly making defamatory remarks on Twitter. Hulu: We're No Threat to Traditional TV Broadcasting & Cable Television industry execs who complain that Hulu is undermining current models haven't seen the business plan, says CEO Jason Kilar. Some 50% of Hulu's content has never been available in the living room in the past year, and therefore no threat to the TV, he says. Microsoft Pulls Sponsorship of 'Family Guy' Variety Microsoft is backing out of its sponsorship off Fox's upcoming "Family Guy" comedy/variety special. The software giant planned to sponsor the show to tout its new Windows 7 operating system. The special's content, Microsoft says, "was not a fit with the Windows brand." MSN, MySpace in Talks About Music Tie-Up AllThingsD Microsoft's MSN is in preliminary talks with MySpace about using the social networking site's music service, MySpace Music, to help power music offerings on the giant portal. MSN Music consistently ranks lower that other big online music properties in terms of traffic. Google Incorporates Tweets in Social Search Dow Jones Google is unveiling Google Social Search, which allows users to find postings from their friends as part of a Web search. Search results will also include postings from Twitter and blogs. A search for a restaurant could generate not only official sites, but also friends' comments. Twitter Streams in Wendy's New Ad Campaign ClickZ As part of Wendy's new "You Know When It's Real" advertising campaign, the fast food chain is launching WendysRealTime.com, a site that works with Twitter's API to retrieve tweets containing relevant keywords, such as "bacon." Wendy's is promoting the new site online. Facebook, MySpace Talk of Sharing Content Telegraph Facebook and MySpace are said to be in talks about sharing content across both sites. The move could potentially see MySpace music and video footage being shared on Facebook via its Connect platform, which allows people to log into third party sites using their Facebook ID. AOL Stacks Board With Media, Tech Names Bloomberg AOL, which is being spun off by Time Warner, is naming a board that includes former Federal Communications Commission chief Michael Powell, former CBS CFO Fredric Reynolds, and Paley Center for Media head Patricia Mitchell, among other industry figures. FCC Chief Worries About Gadget Spectrum BusinessWeek Julius Genachowski, chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, says he is concerned about broadband access: "The demands created by the iPhone and other mobile technologies threaten to outstrip the amount of spectrum that's available." Google 'Pulling Away' from Yahoo in Ads Barron's Yahoo is losing more ground to its nemesis, Google, according to Barron's. In short, Yahoo's advertising revenues are on the decline while Google's are rising. Yahoo is "cutting expenses to the bone and producing only 'less bad' results," while rival Google is "pulling away." Yahoo: Carl Icahn Resigns from Board San Jose Mercury News Carl Icahn, the activist investor who led a messy coup attempt at Yahoo last year, is resigning from the company's board, praising its new management and its plans for an Internet search partnership with Microsoft. New CEO Carol Bartz "is doing a great job," he says. Twitter News Network Eyed by Sports Star Associated Press Chad Ochocinco, the Cincinnati Bengals receiver, plans to form his own news network on Twitter, using his contacts with other league players to develop sports news. Partner Motorola will provide the technology. "I'm knocking out the middle man," he says of journalists. Demand Media Mulls Going Public in 2010 USA Today Demand Media runs multiple Web sites that are chock-full of content, without paying a fortune for it. Writers and editors work for little money upfront, but share in the advertising revenue. Demand expects revenue of $200 million in 2009. An IPO is possible next year. Sony PlayStation 3 to Stream Netflix Movies Reuters Sony is partnering with Netflix to provide access to the online movie rental company's library through its PlayStation 3 video game console. PS3 users who are also Netflix subscribers will be able to instantly stream movies from the Netflix catalog at no additional cost. Eisner's Web Video Studio Wins Backing New York Times Michael Eisner, the former Disney chief and budding new-media mogul, is securing a new investment for his Web video studio Vuguru from Rogers Communications, one of Canada's largest media companies. Vuguru plans to increase its programming production. Netflix Mulls DVD Rental Delay to Help Studios Los Angeles Times Netflix, the DVD-by-mail company, is discussing delayed-rental proposals with several its suppliers, as part of new Hollywood-led effort. Film studios, hit by a drop in DVD sales, want to delay new-release rentals for a few weeks, hoping it will push consumers to buy movies. Hulu May Add Subscription Fees Next Year Associated Press Hulu will start charging fees, possibly as early as next year, according to Chase Carey, president of News Corp., one of the video site's owners. However, Hulu still believes that a free site supported by advertising is the model that will "resonate most" with users. Facebook 'Coolest Thing' Online, Teens Say VatorNews The "coolest thing" online these days is Facebook, according to a panel of teenagers at the Web 2.0 Summit. The social network has "taken over chat." Also, teens say they prefer to watch television shows on the Internet and get their news online from news sites and blogs. Amazon Brings Books, Newspapers to PCs Puget Sound Business Amazon is releasing a free app that lets people read Kindle e-books and newspapers on their Windows personal computers. The move extends Amazon's vast store of publications beyond its Kindle readers. The company plans similar Kindle apps for Macs and BlackBerrys. AOL at Work on 'Secret' Content Platform CNET AOL recently has increased its roster of journalists from 500 to more than 3,000, says CEO Tim Armstrong. "We've hired people from places like the Wall Street Journal and ESPN." He adds that the company is working on a high-profile announcement that involves "the creation of content." Twitter Growth Boosted by Mobile, Pew Says MSNBC Nearly one in five Internet users is tweeting on Twitter, according to a study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Pew attributes Twitter's rise in part to those who connect to the Internet using mobile devices. "On-the-go Internet users say they like to share with other people." Web 2.0: Mobile Devices Are Taking Over USA Today Mobile is the hot topic at this week's Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. Smartphone technology -- a PC in your pocket -- "is ramping faster than any tech cycle in modern times," says Morgan Stanley analyst Mary Meeker. "That this is all happening in a recession is a very good thing." Google CEO: Vast Changes Coming to Web Associated Press A Web where connections are so fast that distinctions between audio, video and text are blurred is perhaps just five years away, says Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The Internet giant wants to help "invent" the future, he adds. Google may look into ranking a user's individual tweets. Microsoft, Yahoo, Google to Include Tweets Bloomberg Microsoft, Yahoo and Google plan to include Twitter messages in their search engines, giving more exposure to the microblogging service. Microsoft also plans to incorporate Facebook messages. Search results will be aided by "real-time observations." Newspaper, Internet Titans Duel at Web 2.0 AFP Wall Street Journal managing editor Robert Thomson accused Google of promoting online news reading "promiscuity," in a heated discussion at the Web 2.0 Summit. New York Times digital head Martin Nisenholtz says the Huffington Post is "guilty" of copyright theft. Yahoo Teams With WPP for Original Content CNBC Yahoo is partnering with advertising giant WPP's Group M Entertainment to produce new branded webisodes, with both companies bringing in advertisers and developing concepts. Yahoo's push to produce and own content is a different approach than rival Google. MySpace Moves to Beef Up Music Offerings Dow Jones News Corp.'s MySpace is beefing up its music offerings, part of a continued reinvention of the social-networking site designed to attract more users and advertising dollars. MySpace now features a single page stocked with music videos from "all major music labels." Facebook to Allow 10-Cent Web Song Gifts Associated Press Facebook will soon allow friends to send each other 10-cent Web songs to stream online or 90-cent songs in the MP3 format that recipients can download as gifts from online retailer Lala. The offering will start with a limited group of Facebook users and spread gradually. Google to Blend Search, Music in One Box CNET Google will soon launch a music initiative, which the company at this point is calling One Box, offering song previews, artist bios and video. One Box will offer people a means to buy music via links to music sites Lala and iLike. All four top record companies are on board. Hulu Trying Out Models to Boost Revenue Reuters Hulu is experimenting with different business models and initiatives, from bumping up advertising to designing subscription-based content, to boost revenue, says NBC Universal TV chief Marc Graboff. "The trick is to turn those digital pennies into digital dollars." Google to Sell Its Own Branded Smartphone InternetNews Google is said to be planning to release its own smartphone directly through retailers, as opposed to through a carrier partnership, in what could be a huge disruption to the industry's business model. Google's phone "could be the first credible competitor to the iPhone." Smartphones Have Advertisers Salivating USA Today Advertisers are smitten by the prospect of reaching millions of twentysomethings worldwide who are smartphone devotees. Many of those users show a willingness to view ads. "There is an enormous opportunity" for ads promoting movies, TV shows and more. AT&T, Google in Fight Over Internet Rules Bloomberg U.S. regulators are set to vote on rules that would bar ISPs from favoring or blocking Internet content. Google backs "extreme regulatory standards," says AT&T's top Washington official. His rival at Google calls AT&T's campaign against the rules "almost laughable." Twitter Sees Growth in Mobile, Foreign Use Bloomberg Twitter is considering generating revenue by having advertisements on the site and giving marketers deeper access to its data, says CEO Evan Williams. The growth of its U.S. Web users has slowed, but the company is picking up the slack among mobile users and overseas customers. Microsoft Set to Integrate Twitter Into Bing AllThingsD Microsoft is said to be close to striking a nonexclusive data-mining deal with Twitter to integrate the microblogging service's full feed into its results of its Bing search service. News of the deal, which is still being worked on, could even come as early as today. Yahoo: Online Advertising Has Stabilized BusinessWeek While no match for the resurgent third quarter reported by Google a few days earlier, Yahoo's results and its forecast for current-quarter sales beat analysts' expectations and gave further evidence that this year's swoon in Internet advertising may be ending. Barnes & Noble's E-Reader Likes to Share Wired Barnes & Noble's new Nook e-reading device differs from the Amazon Kindle in a number of ways. Most notably, it allows users to borrow books the same way readers traditionally trade paper books. Also, a color touchscreen lets users enter search terms on a virtual keyboard. TMZ Faces Warrant Over Gibson Arrest Leak Washington Post Three years after Mel Gibson was arrested during a drunken, anti-Semitic tirade, Los Angeles authorities are filing a search warrant seeking bank records attempting to trace cash from TMZ, the Web site that broke the story. "I feel violated," says TMZ boss Harvey Levin. Variety Tech Summit: Tectonic Shift Coming Variety Showbiz heavyweights at Variety's inaugural entertainment and technology summit predict the pace of change will increase as companies try to reshape old economic models. The competitive landscape soon will look very different "because everybody's going to buy something." Hollywood Clamps Down on Twitter, Facebook Hollywood Reporter Disney and DreamWorks are inserting clauses into employment contracts to stop studio staff and actors from sharing personal thoughts via Facebook and Twitter. ABC is circulating Twitter "guidelines," which include no-nos such as making disparaging remarks about shows. Twitter Aims to Become 'Pulse of the Planet' Wired Twitter envisions delivering content from the microblogging service to and from every connected device, like radios and game consoles. According to confidential internal documents, the company observed: "If we had a billion users, that will be the pulse of the planet." YouTube to Live Stream U2 Pasadena Concert Los Angeles Times A concert by U2 at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California on Sunday will be streamed live on YouTube. The stream will be accessible in 16 countries. The video site says that the concert will be archived and available for later viewing, with overlay advertising. Vevo Music Video Site Gets Abu Dhabi Dollars AFP Abu Dhabi Media is making a "strategic investment" of some $300 million in Vevo, the online music video partnership between Universal Music and Sony Music. Vevo is