Web Searches for Dead Manson Follower Susan Atkins

Susan Atkins, one of the members of the Manson Family (followers of Charles Manson), who infamously killed Sharon Tate in 1969 has been reported dead, and as a reflection of the morbid curiosity of the general public, Google shows that Atkins searches have become a hot trend (current rating: "spicy"). Related searches appear on the list at least five other times.

Yahoo Launches New Ad Unit with Charity Contest

Yahoo is launching a new Yahoo Mail ad unit called "Tandem," to be reserved for "the most creative" non-profit campaign. The company has partnered with the Ad Council to launch the initiative, which it refers to as "Create for a Cause."

The Web Weighs In On Twitter’s $1 Billion Valuation

We first reported that Twitter was raising funds at a $1 billion valuation eight days ago.  Since then, the amount of money Twitter's supposed to be raising has doubled, and more details about who's supplying the cash have surfaced.  As you might imagine, all of this has generated quite a lot of discussion.

Online Advertising Spend Seeing Significant Gains

Time spent on social networking and blogging sites accounted for 17 percent of all time spent on the Internet in August 2009, according to a new report from Nielsen. "This growth suggests a wholesale change in the way the Internet is used," said Jon Gibs, vice president, media and agency insights, Nielsen's online division. "While video and text content remain central to the Web experience…

Google Makes Sure Wave Can Run Properly on IE

Google released an early version of the Google Chrome Frame today. This is a plug-in for Internet Explorer, which lets the browser use HTML5 and...Google Wave (starting next week when the product's preview is extended).