Twitter Location Features Rolling Out

Twitter.com Showing Where Some Tweets Come from

Last fall, Twitter started including geolocation information in its API, but it was not available through Twitter.com. That appears to be in the process of changing now.

This week, Twitter has been rolling out (it appears to still be in the process) geolocation info on tweets at Twitter.com. Various reports from users have been circulating, with those who have access to the feature pointing to a little blue icon by the tweet source on individual tweets, which when clicked, shows location information on a Map (powered by Google Maps).

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Chinese Minister Hints At Consequences For Google

Search giant characterized as `unfriendly, irresponsible`

Despite weeks of talks that have supposedly taken place behind closed doors, the Chinese government still seems unwilling to compromise with respect to Google and censorship.  Indeed, it may be growing hostile, as a minister talked about `consequences` today.

The BBC reported that Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong adopted a tough stance during a legislation session.  `I hope that Google will abide and respect the Chinese government’s laws and regulations,` he said.  `But, if you betray Chinese laws and regulations . . . it means that you are unfriendly, irresponsible, and you will have to pay the consequences.`
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TED 2010: Google Optimistic It Can Remain in China

By Kim Zetter February 12, 2010 | 3:34 pm | 

 TED Conference LONG BEACH, California —

Google appears to be content to remain in China doing business as usual while it finds a way to work within the system, according to one of the search giant’s founders. This despite a strong statement 30 days ago that it would stop censoring search results in China and possibly pull its business out of that country.

Google founder Sergey Brin discussed the recent hack attack against Google at the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference here Friday. He was invited to the stage by TED curator Chris Anderson to discuss the hack against dozens of companies that targeted intellectual property and Gmail accounts of human rights activists. Google stated at the time it announced the hack that it would seek to negotiate with the Chinese government to find a way to continue to operate there without censoring its search results.

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Aardvark Already Part of Google

Answers will Show Up in Search
Aardvark Supplies Details About Future Under Google

Friday, February 12, 2010
By Chris Crum
Yesterday, news broke that Google was acquiring social Q&A site Aardvark for about $50 million. Aardvark sent its users an email today saying:

Dear friends,

Aardvark has just been acquired by Google!

Aardvark will remain fully operational and completely free, providing quick, helpful answers to all of your questions. For more information about how the acquisition affects Aardvark users, check out the FAQ that we’ve put together….

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Google Poaches Social Search Service Aardvark

Flailing MySpace Loses CEO, Death Spiral Continues

By Eliot Van Buskirk  February 11, 2010  |  1:24 pm  

Poor MySpace.

First, the audience it stole from Friendster left for Facebook. Now, Owen Van Natta, the former Facebook executive Rupert Murdoch hired less than a year ago to reverse the site’s declining fortunes, has also left, MySpace announced late Wednesday night.

The bell has been tolling for MySpace for years, with users leaving the site pretty much as they found it: as a place to hear what a band sounds like and see what they look like in a matter of seconds, rather than as a place where they establish an online identity and communicate with friends.

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