Back in June, YouTube made a couple of announcements that indicated the most popular video site in the world was planning on taking news seriously. YouTube invited major publishers to become partners, and they also launched a new resource for citizen reporters called the YouTube Reporters’ Center.
Russian Firm Investing Another $100 Million In Facebook
Tonight, it’s almost certain that bars around Facebook’s new headquarters in Stanford Research Park will be busy. Tomorrow, the offices of Facebook’s employees may be full of new toys and gadgets. It seems that Russian investment firm Digital Sky Technologies wants to buy $100 million of common stock from employees.
Google Prepares To Hold Another D.C. Talk
Sometimes, Google and the government get along; one week from today, for example, Google will host a gathering in Washington, D.C. to discuss national security and Web 2.0. Relationships don’t always proceed smoothly, however, and two consumer watchdog groups have asked the president to decide against hiring a certain Googler.
Microsoft Announces Another Round of Job Cuts
Update: VentureBeat reports: "We’ve learned that Massive, the company’s in-game advertising business, suffered something like 75 percent layoffs."
Microsoft Throwing Another Log Onto the Brand Fire
Here we go again with the whirlwind of search engine brands from Microsoft. Joseph Tartakoff with paidContent.org is reporting that Microsoft has trademarked what appears to be a new brand name of an upcoming mobile search engine. And that name is "Sift." He writes:
Another Google Suit Settled For Ad Credit
If you have a dispute with Google over a relatively small amount of money, it’s probably best to take the company to small claims court. Joining a class action suit will only make lawyers rich and leave advertisers with advertising credit.
Another Round of Noteworthy Facebook Tidbits
There is always plenty to discuss about Facebook as the site continues to grow rapidly. However, there are a few items of interest floating around the blogosphere currently that I wanted to highlight here.
Another Texting Study Says Kids’ Language Skills Are Fine
I think perhaps in all times of technological, societal flux elders immediately worry about the skills and capabilities of the generations that follow. But I think the opposite happens: technology makes us better by stretching our capacities.
Google Transit Ushers In Another Update
Let’s face it: public transportation isn’t a sexy topic, and it’s not really one of the fields in which Google specializes. But the subject does seem rather recession-appropriate, and the search giant has made a nice gesture by updating its Google Transit feature on Google Maps.
Another Example That Internet Advertising is Holding Strong
There has been a lot of talk about the online advertising industry being in trouble because of the economy, yet we continue to see example after example of the contrary. The latest example is highlighted by VentureBeat, and concerns ad network Glam Media, which despite making job cuts earlier in the year, is still seeing growth in advertising: