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Understanding the web to make search more relevant — Last year at our second Searchology event, we announced Google Squared and Rich Snippets, two approaches to improve search by better understanding the web. Today, we're kicking off the new year with two improvements based on those technologies.
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Google's Brin And Page To Sell Off Shares; Give Up Majority Voting Power Over Five Years — Google (NSDQ: GOOG) just put out an SEC filing indicating that co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will soon begin to sell off some of their holdings in the company, as part of a predetermined trading plan.
Discussion:
TechCrunch, Tech Trader Daily, Silicon Alley Insider, CNET News, Digital Daily, Mashable!, VentureBeat, Gizmodo, Bits and The Register, Thanks:atul


Internet 2009 in numbers — What happened with the Internet in 2009? — How many websites were added? How many emails were sent? How many Internet users were there? This post will answer all of those questions and many more. Prepare for information overload, but in a good way.


Google's Nexus One muzzles the foul-mouthed — One of the most innovative features of Google's new Nexus One is the built-in voice recognition. But there's one major limitation that Reuters discovered while putting the smartphone through its paces: the phone is a bit of a prig.
Discussion:
Daring Fireball


Dave Morin Leaves Facebook, To Launch New Startup With Napster Creator Shawn Fanning — Long time Facebook employee Dave Morin (pictured left), an early member of the team that led the launch of Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect, is leaving the company today, we've confirmed.
Discussion:
Dave Morin, The Social, VentureBeat, All Facebook and Silicon Alley Insider, Thanks:jasonkincaid

Mac OS X 10.6.3 to enhance QuickTime, 64-bit Logic, printing — A third planned maintenance and security update to Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system will include significant enhancements to QuickTime X while also improving printing and Logic performance, AppleInsider has learned.

YouTube Discussing Online Rentals With Film Studios, Artists — Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) — Google Inc.'s YouTube is talking with major Hollywood studios about providing movies for an online rental service that started today with five independent films from the Sundance Film Festival.
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Apple tablet seen nearing $3 billion business in first year
Discussion:
CNET News, Kindle Review, ITworld.com, The Awl, Macsimum News, EverythingiCafe, Network World, Business Week, Gizmodo and Fast Company


Journalists' Social Media Sideshow Will Prove Nothing — Why do so many journalists and traditional media outlets see social media services like Twitter and Facebook as a threat? Maybe it's a result of too many breathless headlines about how they're going to replace traditional journalism …
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Microsoft shakes up its Entertainment and Devices unit — Microsoft has made some major organizational changes to its Entertainment and Devices unit — the part of the company responsible for its mobile, Zune, Media Center and Mediaroom IPTV products. — Earlier this week, Microsoft reorg'd the TV …
Discussion:
The Microsoft Blog, Electronista, TechFlash, CNET News, paidContent, WMPoweruser.com, The Seattle Times and Ars Technica


Make a $2 Adjustable Smartphone Car Mount in 10 minutes — introMake a $2 Adjustable Smartphone Car Mount in 10 minutes — Do you ever wander the aisles at store after store looking for just the right thing to hold your phone/GPS/mobile device while you're driving?


Twitter Starts Rolling Out Local Trends (Pictures) — As you can see in the picture, Twitter has started to roll out its new Local Trends feature which takes the standard Trending Topics data and uses Twitter's geolocation functionality to make it based on location.
Discussion:
Mashable!, Outspoken Media, Erictric, The Next Web, Pocket-lint, The Huffington Post and Lost Remote


A Big-Picture Look at Google, Microsoft, Apple and Yahoo — On Wednesday, I wrote about a battle looming between Apple and Google as discussions take place over the possibility of Apple making Microsoft's Bing the default search engine on the iPhone. — Stepping back further …

Microsoft's Ballmer Calls Out Google Over China Stance — Christopher Helman is the Southwest Bureau Chief of Forbes, based in Houston — Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer, in a speech to oil company executives in Houston on Thursday, criticized Google for its threats to leave China …


Keeping computers from ending science's reproducibility — In recent years, scientists may have inadvertently given up on a key component of the scientific method: reproducibility. That's an argument that's being advanced by a number of people who have been tracking our increasing reliance …


Google Voice Extension For Chrome Adds Click To Call And Other Killer Features — I've just changed my default browser from Safari to Chrome. The reason - the official Chrome Google Voice extension, which was updated on Friday. If you're a Google Voice user (I'm possibly the most rabid one around …
Discussion:
Software Journal

Facebook, Twitter and P&G — This afternoon I attended an event sponsored by Proctor & Gamble called the “Innovation Outreach Venturing Day.” The event was an effort by executives at P&G to connect with the investment community in the Bay Area to discuss how P&G might work more closely …


Motricity files for $250 million IPO — Motricity, which moved its headquarters from Durham, North Carolina to Bellevue in 2008, has filed to raise up to $250 million through an initial public offering. The 6-year-old company, which has raised more than $400 million from Technology Crossover Ventures …


Satellite Images Of Haiti Earthquake From Google & Bing Maps — Both Google Maps and Bing Maps offer ways to see the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti. Below, a look at how to see before and after images, taken by satellite. Plus, several 360-degree ground level videos you can view.


Ursula Le Guin leads revolt against Google digital book settlement — As opt-out deadline approaches, writer launches petition asking for US to be exempt from controversial agreement — The family of John Steinbeck has reversed its decision to oppose Google's controversial plans …

Judge reduces $2M music-sharing verdict to $54k — IDG News Service - A Minnesota judge reduced the $2 million in damages that a jury ordered file-sharer Jammie Thomas-Rasset to pay, calling the original verdict “monstrous and shocking.” — Thomas-Rasset was one of the first people …


Why cloud exchanges won't work — As cloud computing in its various forms increasingly happens rather than just being talked about, I'm starting to hear the idea of a cloud-computing exchange floated. There are certainly things to like about the concept but I don't see it playing …