Week in review: Getting real with Google, Yahoo
Internet rivals make their own plays in real-time search, while AOL strikes out on its own. Also: Facebook privacy and hands on with the CrunchPad, er, Joo Joo.
Google's deal with Twitter is paying off.
Google announced the fruits of its earlier deal with the microblogging site, showing off how it has decided to present real-time Internet content within search results.
Google will build a section called "latest results" into the regular Google search results page that automatically refreshes Internet content from sources like Twitter. A demonstration showed off how a search for "Obama" would bring up tweets, Web pages, and other Internet content related to the president as it was generated. At the Web 2.0 conference in October, Google struck a deal with Twitter to get access to the service's "firehose" of tweets.
• Google hopes to turn the river into a canal
Days after Google announced its plan for integrating content from sources such as Twitter and blogs, Yahoo launched its own feature to integrate tweets into search results. Microsoft already displays Twitter results for queries placed on its Bing search engine, although they are displayed on a separate page that is not directly integrated into the main search results.
More headlines
For AOL and Yahoo, it's deja vu all over again
With AOL's spin-off from Time Warner becoming official, the once-iconic media company finds itself face to face with old foe Yahoo as both try to resurrect media empires.• AOL's first day: We want to believe
Google's glad to dance to Vevo's tune
The Web titan's role in helping to build Vevo, the long-awaited music-video service, is yet another peace offering to the content industry.• Vevo CEO confirms it's all about business
• Bono, Lady Gaga, Schmidt at Vevo bash (photos)
Intel shifts focus to laptop graphics technology
After scrapping the initial Larrabee processor, the chip giant will focus on graphics technology for laptops.• Ghosts of projects past haunt Intel graphics chip
Facebook details new privacy settings
All Facebook users will soon be required to configure their privacy settings, though the company encourages people to keep some information public.• Facebook's new privacy system: Pros and cons
• How to fix Facebook's new privacy settings
• Study: Facebook users willingly give out data
• Facebook forms safety advisory board
• Facebook in Vietnam: Social-networking blues
Apple confirms acquisition of music site Lala
Apple acknowledges that it has purchased the struggling streaming service but declined to comment on reports that Lala was bought for very little money.• Did Apple pay $80 million or $17 million for Lala?
AT&T considers incentives to curb heavy data usage
Wireless chief Ralph de la Vega says AT&T may consider alternatives to curb heavy wireless data usage.
CrunchPad reborn as JooJoo
Chandra Rathakrishnan, the chief executive of former TechCrunch partner Fusion Garage, reveals plans to proceed with release of new Web-browsing tablet.• Hands-on with the JooJoo
• JooJoo first look (photos)
• TechCrunch files suit over CrunchPad
Virgin Galactic unveils rocket plane thrill ride
Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic finally unveils SpaceShipTwo, a commercial rocket plane designed to launch space tourists on the ultimate thrill ride--a suborbital flight into space.• Virgin Galactic unveils sub-orbital spacecraft (photos)
Also of note
• Google debuts news story experiment
• With draft standard, 3D Web closer to reality
• Seagate enters solid-state drive market