FCC urges Internet companies to safeguard Web (Reuters)

Reuters - Internet service providers need to work harder to prevent hacks, data theft and other fraud, including contacting customers whose infected computers have been hijacked by organized crime and helping them clean out viruses, the head of the Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday.

These comedy apps will put a smile on your face (Appolicious)

Appolicious - Today’s most innovative comedians are not necessarily telling jokes in front of a live audience, on TV, or in the movies. A new golden age of comedy is playing out online and via mobile applications for smartphones and tablet computers. There are apps that showcase the funniest satirists on Twitter, broadcast interviews with newcomers and comedy legends, and make classic publications like The Onion and Cracked come alive.

IBM eyes cybersecurity market with new platform (Reuters)

Reuters - International Business Machines is gearing up to take a chunk of the growing Internet security market by applying its data analytics to help companies and organizations fight cyberattacks.

Microsoft files EU complaint over Google, Motorola (Reuters)

Reuters - Microsoft Corp has asked EU antitrust regulators to intervene in a patent dispute with Google Inc and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc as it stepped up its battle against Google.

Microsoft files EU complaint over Google, Motorola (Reuters)

Reuters - Microsoft Corp has asked EU antitrust regulators to intervene in a patent dispute with Google Inc and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc as it stepped up its battle against Google.

Pokemon developer battles App Store rip-offs (Appolicious)

Appolicious - There’s still no official Pokemon title in the iTunes App Store, despite the clamoring of fans for a mobile version of Nintendo’s incredibly popular monster-catching role-playing game series.

EU seeks legal opinion on global copyright (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Union's executive said on Wednesday it would refer a disputed global agreement to tackle online piracy to the bloc's highest court to check whether it complies with EU fundamental rights.

NY group: Online journalists censored, attacked (AP)

AP - A global coalition against censorship is needed to protect online journalists and bloggers who are being targeted by repressive governments, a leading advocacy group said Tuesday.

EU suspends copyright treaty ratification (AP)

AP - The European Commission, facing opposition in city streets, on the Internet and in the halls of parliament, has suspended efforts to ratify a new international anti-counterfeiting agreement, and instead will refer it to Europe's highest court to see whether it violates any fundamental EU rights.

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom released on bail (AP)

AP - The founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload was released on bail Wednesday after a New Zealand judge decided Kim Dotcom lacked means to flee because his funds had been seized.

Kim Dotcom wins bail in fight against U.S. extradition (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. crime-fighters failed in a bid to keep alleged Internet pirate Kim Dotcom behind bars on Wednesday when a New Zealand court freed him from jail and instead put him under effective house arrest and banned him from using the Internet.

Comcast to take on Netflix with Web video service (Reuters)

Reuters - Comcast Corp, the No. 1 U.S. cable operator, became the latest major name to take on Netflix Inc on Tuesday when it announced plans for an online video service offering a library of TV shows and movies.

Netflix bolsters video library as new threat looms (AP)

AP - Netflix's Internet video service is adding more marquee attractions as it braces for a new competitive threat from cable-TV provider Comcast Corp.

Google Wants to Plant 1,000 Acres of Satellite Dishes in Iowa [VIDEO] (Mashable)

Mashable - Google Fiber Inc., a subsidiary of the search giant, is asking the FCC for permission to install 4.5 meter satellite antennas on 1,000 acres of land next to its data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

How HelloGiggles Creates a Positive Online Community for Young Women (Mashable)

Mashable - Among the cold, often critical world of the web, HelloGiggles is warming it up with fun and empowering, lady-friendly content. The website -- created by Zooey Deschanel, Molly McAleer and Sophia Rossi -- is a space where people can creatively connect in an entertaining and supportive environment.

Ericsson buys BelAir to boost WiFi offering (Reuters)

Reuters - Swedish telecoms gear maker Ericsson is to buy privately held WiFi technology company BelAir Networks to boost its mobile broadband offering.

Netflix strikes movie deal with Weinstein Co. (AP)

AP - Netflix has locked up the right to show "The Artist" and other movies from The Weinstein Co. on its Internet video service before the films are released to the leading pay-TV channels.

Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom Now Free on Bail (Mashable)

Mashable - A New Zealand court has granted bail to Kim Dotcom, the founder of file-sharing site Megaupload. Dotcom, born Kim Schmitz, was arrested last month on many charges stemming from the operation of Megaupload, which was shut down by legal authorities (including the FBI) for encouraging piracy. According to New Zealand's 3News, a district court judge Nevin Dawson said Dotcom wasn't a flight risk and had "every reason to stay" in the country. Prosecutors pointed out that Dotcom was a wealthy man with the resources to escape the country. However, authorities froze Dotcom's assets and seized his multiple passports when he was arrested, and the judge said the assumption was off base.

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store (AP)

AP - iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending Feb. 20, 2012:

Google carrying real-time data from EU exchanges (AP)

AP - Google is to carry real-time pricing from leading European stock exchanges, the company said Tuesday, marking an expansion of the online search giant's financial offerings.

Google carrying real-time data from EU exchanges (AP)

AP - Google is to carry real-time pricing from leading European stock exchanges, the company said Tuesday, marking an expansion of the online search giant's financial offerings.

Everything You Need to Know About Wireless Spectrum [INFOGRAPHIC] (Mashable)

Mashable - Spectrum is going to be a hot issue in the upcoming year. Freeing up spectrum is a major part of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) National Broadband Plan, and last week Congress passed a law allowing TV stations to auction their spectrum to the highest bidding wireless broadband companies. But what is spectrum, you wonder? I'm glad you asked.

Google offers live London stock prices for free (Reuters)

Reuters - Google is to bolster its Google Finance service by giving retail investors free access to real-time London Stock Exchange share prices.

Russian search engine Yandex teams up with Twitter (AP)

AP - Russia's top search engine Yandex said Tuesday it has teamed up with Twitter to allow the Russian firm to show the full feed of all public Twitter posts.

Twitter partners with Yandex for real-time search (Reuters)

Reuters - Twitter and Russian search engine Yandex have agreed a partnership that will allow Yandex to show new tweets in its search results almost instantly, as Twitter becomes an increasingly important source of real-time information.

How to become a YouTube star (AP)

AP - YouTube has committed $100 million to 96 new video channels and has recruited top Hollywood talent to produce content. But the Google-owned site's talent search is far from complete. Fancy yourself a filmmaker?

Demand Media stock soars as 4Q results renew hope (AP)

AP - Demand Media Inc.'s stock soared by 31 percent Friday after the online content publisher's fourth-quarter earnings and outlook for this year gave investors hope that it is starting to recover from diminished traffic that had stemmed from changes to Google's Internet search formula.

China's Baidu looks to mobile search for growth (Reuters)

Reuters - China's top search engine, Baidu Inc, plans to begin monetizing its mobile search traffic and social media platforms this year in an effort to boost growth outside its traditional PC domain, Baidu's chief executive said on Friday.

Google gets U.S., EU nod to buy Motorola Mobility (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. and European regulators approved Google Inc's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc and said they would keep a sharp eye on the web search giant to ensure patents critical to the telecommunications industry would be licensed at fair prices.

Cyberplex unit to pay $4.8 million to Yahoo for poor traffic (Reuters)

Reuters - Cyberplex Inc said its debt-laden unit Tsavo Media is required to pay Yahoo Inc $4.8 million for what the U.S. search company called "low quality traffic" from ads on Tsavo-run websites last year.

Microsoft slams Google user data policy in new ads (AP)

AP - Microsoft Corp. slammed search rival Google Inc. with full-page newspaper ads Wednesday, saying that recent changes at Google that allow it to internally merge the data it collects on user activity across services such as YouTube and Gmail are meant to allow advertisers to better target customers.

House lawmakers seek Google answers on privacy policy (Reuters)

Reuters - Lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked Google Inc on Thursday to provide answers about recent changes to the search engine's privacy policy.

Analysis: Wall Street puzzles over Google's new direction (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc, which revolutionized Internet searches with an easy-to-use website, has itself become an increasingly tricky business to grasp.

Core suppliers savor bigger Apple pie (Reuters)

Reuters - Suppliers basked in the reflection of Apple's glowing results on Wednesday after the company's gold standard iPhones and iPads flew off the shelves over the holiday sales season.

Yahoo delivers another listless performance in 4Q (AP)

AP - Yahoo slipped further behind in the online advertising race during the fourth quarter as the Internet company entered the fourth year of a revenue slump.

New Yahoo CEO says company needs to "do better" (Reuters)

Reuters - Yahoo Chief Executive Scott Thompson tried to manage expectations on his first earnings call as the new CEO, broadly addressing numerous issues the Internet company is grappling with -- from a potential sale to reviving its core display advertising business -- but declined to lay out a detailed strategy.

Google reportedly courts Hollywood for (more) YouTube movie rentals (Ben Patterson)

Ben Patterson - Google has been dabbling in streaming movie rentals for months now, but word has it that the search giant wants to plunge into the pay-per-view market head-first. Hollywood, meet YouTube.

Google upgrades search index speed, freshness (Christopher Null)

Christopher Null - Are you tired of searching Google for, say, a market share report and being handed data from 2009? Those days may be coming to an end, says Google, thanks to an update to its Web indexing system called Caffeine.

Microsoft Bing ends cashback feature (Christopher Null)

Christopher Null - Some called it a move of the truly desperate: Paying users outright for using the Microsoft Bing search engine.