Today, Google launched an initiative called the Internet Bus Project, designed to show off all the Internet has to offer to cities in Tamil Nadu, India. The purpose is to introduce people that are not familiar with the Internet to the education, information, communication, and entertainment it has to offer.
Bebo Opens Mobile
Bebo is working with operators, handset manufacturers, and mobile software developers to help them promote, distribute, and monetize mobile social media. This is through Bebo’s new Open Mobile program.
Skype Launches 4.0 For Windows
Skype has launched version 4.0 for Windows that now includes full-screen video calling and improved call quality.
"Video calling has emerged as a very popular way for people to communicate online," said Mike Bartlett, director of product strategy for Skype.
The Apocalypse Will Be Twittered
The best fiction overtakes the consumer’s reality by weaving itself into that reality and becoming a part of it. What makes this process “fun” is awareness and tolerance of unreality for brief periods, after which true reality returns. It’s sort of permission-based fantasy, a trip without the need for LSD. Without that permission to invade the mind, it’s at best a practical joke, at worst, a cruel hoax, and somewhere in the middle it’s viral marketing.
And it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
Trial Of Google Execs Begins In Italy
In September of 2006, a clip of four Italian youths teasing a teenager with Down syndrome was uploaded to Google Video. Today, the trial of four Google executives on criminal charges of defamation and privacy violations is set to begin in Milan.
Ask Partners With Symantec On Safer Searches
Ask.com has partnered with security firm Symantec to offer users safer search results in an effort to attract more traffic.
Ask and Symantec developed Safe Search that makes searching the Web safer by providing users with ratings before they visit a site that could damage or infect their computer.
Wikia CEO Talks Wikianswers Conflict
Wikia has just relaunched an answers site called Wikianswers, which has drawn a bit of controversy over its name. There is another site called Wiki Answers, which was once called FAQFarm and is now owned by Answers.com.
Google Mobilizes Gmail Tasks
About two months ago, Google announced a new "Tasks" feature in Gmail Labs. the feature provides a window in Gmail similar to that of chat and lets you add tasks by simply clicking in the empty area and starting to type.
Now they are offering a mobile version of the feature for iPhones and Android devices. It is also accessible by any xhtml enabled phone.
YouTube Celebrates Black History Month
February is Black History Month in the United States and YouTube is celebrating through a partnership with Grey Goose Vodka to present a month of progamming in its honor. They’ve kicked off the month with four films that "offer unique accounts of moments or themes from African and African-American history," Sara P. explains on the YouTube Blog.
Twitter Community Crowns Official Twitter Babe
Adult star Stoya isn’t the first official “Twitter Babe,” just the first one we were aware of. You can thank, if that’s the kind of thing you’re thankful for, the Twitter community and readers of XCritic.com for the election.
That’s e-Lection, mind you.
The first official Twitter Babe was a young lady named Tori Black, but we weren’t issued a press release about her. (By the by, wouldn’t recommend googling these names unless you’re comfortable with certain things.)