VentureBeat |
- Week in review: SOPA, PR nightmares and Twinkie-eating zombies
- A new option if you want to invest in startups
- Wii U likely to implement a full app store upon release
- Orangutan Outreach wants Apple’s help popularizing apes using iPads
- Electric-car maker Fisker recalling Karmas due to battery issue
- The Apple collection: Secret Stanford warehouse houses company history
- Nintendo, Sony and EA quietly drop SOPA support
- Intel’s first Android smartphone will be made by LG, shown off at CES
- No Facebook Timeline for Internet Explorer 7 users
- Law firm threatens to shut Twitter down for allowing terrorist groups to tweet
- Updated: Verizon reverses $2 fee after FCC inquiry, customer outrage
- Verizon convenience fee sparks Change.org petition
- How Washington went social in 2011
- Facebook gains on Google with 30% increase in unique U.S. visitors in 2 years
| Week in review: SOPA, PR nightmares and Twinkie-eating zombies Posted: 31 Dec 2011 09:05 AM PST Usually, the last full week of the year is pretty slow in regards to the average news cycle. A description of “slow” doesn’t begin to describe it, since most people in the business world are taking advantage of vacation days before they expire. However, 2011′s final week was nothing if not equal parts amusing and entertaining. We have a wonderful feature about a Left 4 Dead fan film as well as a report on Ocean Marketing’s ridiculous string of emails. We sat down with Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley to talk about the startup’s future. Also, SOPA’s crumbling support, Go Daddy boycotts, Anonymous' Stratfor hack, iPad 3 rumors and VentureBeat Executive Editor Dylan Tweney embraces his inner New Jersey Shore (captured on video). Enjoy! Editor’s PicksThe most interesting phones of 2011: what mattered most in a year of smartphone overload Foursquare's claim to fame, the check-in, could become its downfall The making of an amazing Left 4 Dead fan film (exclusive) VBWeekly: A dramatic re-enactment of Ocean Marketing's PR flop In this week's video, VentureBeat does a dramatic reading of one of the most entertainingly stupid email chains ever to see the light of day — featuring the superb acting abilities of Dylan Tweney and Christopher Peri. Most PopularOcean Marketing: How to self-destruct your company with just a few measly emails Go Daddy loses over 37,000 domains due to SOPA stance Top 10 hilarious and surprising viral videos of 2011 iPad 3 rumor mill: two new iPads planned for January 10 things you need to know about Anonymous' Stratfor hack Filed under: VentureBeat        
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| A new option if you want to invest in startups Posted: 31 Dec 2011 05:00 AM PST
You had to have a lot of money to play – often $50,000 or more. And the startups you'd see were from your geographical region. That traditional scenario left a lot of interested angel investors sitting on the sidelines. Today, it's a lot easier to become an angel investor, due to crowd funding, micro lending and investment sites like MicroVenture Marketplace Inc., which is opening doors to those looking to invest $1,000 to $20,000 or more. The way to win at angel investing, of course, is to invest in the right startups. To get there, you need: 1) Good deal flow from which to spot potential winners. Getting good deal flow is often the stumbling block for the average person looking to get started in angel investing. And it's one of the reasons Bill Clark founded MicroVentures. He wanted to begin investing, but didn't have access to good deals. Like many others thinking about making angel investments, Clark wanted to invest smaller sums in more companies, allowing him to spread out his risk and also increase his changes of picking a winner. And he wanted access to great companies outside of the Austin area, which is his hometown. More than a thousand investors have joined MicroVentures since Clark launched the investment service a year ago. The service matches companies seeking money with investors looking to invest anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 or more. MicroVenture helps investors learn about companies they may never have heard of, and to invest smaller sums, which is virtually unheard of with traditional investing. MicroVentures also helps with the initial due diligence process by filtering start-ups and then providing documents to help investors conduct their own due diligence to help them make a final decision. When you sign up be sure to put "VentureBeat" in the referral code and we will send you a $100 gift card after you make your first investment. Filed under: VentureBeat        
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| Wii U likely to implement a full app store upon release Posted: 31 Dec 2011 12:58 AM PST The upcoming Nintendo console Wii U may include a full app store, much larger and more robust than the current stores Nintendo has implemented on the Wii and the portable systems, according to a report from The Daily. NIntendo hasn’t confirmed the report. There was never much doubt Nintendo would have some kind of store on the next-generation console. Ever since the Wii’s launch in 2006, every major console release has included an online store, from the Wii Shop Channel to the DSi Shop to the 3DS eShop. It is no surprise the Wii U will contain its own rendition of the store, although up until now, there has been no word as to what form the store would take. It appears the new store will contain a wider variety of apps than any of the previous stores, including many unrelated to gaming. One of the examples of apps that will be available for the console was MLB.TV, an app that would give subscribers the ability to watch Major League Baseball games directly from the Wii U console. The closest the Wii ever came to an app like this was its relatively recent inclusion of Netflix Instant Streaming. Given the design of the system and what Nintendo showed off at E3, it is not hard to see the capability of the Wii U controller as a tablet device similar to an iPad, opening up an entirely new avenue for application distribution. It was only a few months ago when GamesBeat hypothesized the effect of Nintendo designing apps for the iOS App Store, but if this report is to be believed, the Big N might be taking that idea one step further. One of the most common gripes concerning Nintendo’s current console-specific stores are the prices, and in an environment where 99 cents is the norm, they might find themselves forced to reevaluate the cost of their apps. (via The Daily) Filed under: games        
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| Orangutan Outreach wants Apple’s help popularizing apes using iPads Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:33 PM PST The next time you head to the zoo, you might see more than just a monkey and his uncle. One organization is giving iPads to primates and hopes Apple will lend its support. Yep, that’s right. According to Extreme Tech, Orangutan Outreach, an organization focused on saving the world’s orangutan population, is setting up zoos with iPads especially for our monkey kin. The project is called Apps for Apes and the organization isn’t just monkeying around; it would like Apple to step in and help stir awareness. “We believe that Apple will have much to gain by supporting our project and working with us to promote it,” the organization’s website says. “By helping to bring attention to the incredible intelligence and capability of orangutans, Apple will be helping protect a critically endangered species.” The goal is not just to see orangutans interacting with the iPad. Instead, Orangutan Outreach would like the monkeys to video chat and communicate with other orangutans over Skype. Currently, the monkeys interact with the iPad through a wall, where they can put their hands through, but not actually hold the iPad itself. Apps that are most appealing have been ones similar to what a child would enjoy, including drawing and music apps. “We would like to have a special section of the App Store called “Apps for Apes”, with proceeds going to Orangutan Outreach, a registered US non-profit charity,” the organization stated on its website. Orangutan Outreach wants developers to create applications specifically targeting apes, as opposed to humans. These apps would have the same foundation, however, starting with identity games, music, memory and more. One Milwaukee zoo that has already introduced the program says the orangutans enjoy looking at videos of themselves, and watching other apes in different areas of the exhibit. Given this interest in video, particularly video of themselves, an opportunity for long-distance communication arises. Orangutan Outreach calls this “Primate Playdate,” and believes it will be particularly attractive to young apes and mothers. Zoo trainers will set up specific times to execute the calls and then hand over the reins to the orangutans. “Orangutans are highly intelligent creatures and they require mental stimulation to keep from growing bored and depressed,” the organization explained. “The Apple iPad is a perfect device for orangutans.” Filed under: mobile        
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| Electric-car maker Fisker recalling Karmas due to battery issue Posted: 30 Dec 2011 04:33 PM PST Electric car maker Fisker Automotive has issued a recall for 239 of its Karma vehicles, fewer than 50 of which have actually been sold to customers. The $96,000 luxury electric sedans have an issue with a hose clip in their battery units that could result in a coolant leak and possibly a fire. All Karma owners have already been contacted by Fisker, and the company aims to have all the batteries replaced in customer cars before Jan. 1, Fisker spokesperson Roger Ormisher told VentureBeat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, the issue is with all Karma models produced between July 1 and Nov. 3. The battery units, which are produced by A123 Systems, were positioned incorrectly, making it possible for the battery compartment to interfere with the hose clamps, resulting in a leak from the coolant hoses. If the coolant leaks into the battery compartment, the battery could short out and cause a fire. No owners reported any issues related to the battery before the recall. While the number of vehicles affected may not seem high for a car recall (GM issued a recall for 4,296 vehicles the following day) it is actually a good chunk of all the Karmas that have been produced so far. The Karma only began shipping over the summer, after two years of delays and a disappointing EPA rating. Fisker plans on ramping-up production to between 10,000 and 12,000 Karma vehicles in 2012, slightly down from its earlier goal of 15,000 a year. Currently, it is producing 25 cars a day. “What was interesting for us was how quickly we did this recall,” said Ormisher. “It can take weeks to get a recall in place and we did it in less than 48 hours.” The company acted immediately after discovering the issue, and had already called all retailers and started the process of replacing batteries when the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report went out. It’s been a bumpy year for the electric-car startup. In October, the company missed manufacturing goals for its next vehicle, the plug-in extended-range dubbed Project Nina, and had to delay plans for production. The Karma is produced in Finland, but the Nina will be manufactured in a revamped GM plan in Detroit, Mich. Ormisher says there’s already a pre-production model of the Nina, and the company plans to start production on the car at the end of 2012. Fisker Automotive has raised over $760 million in private equity financing so far, and has received $529 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the government’s green jobs initiative. Only $169 million of the U.S. loan money has gone toward production of the Fisker Karma. via GigaOm Filed under: green        
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| The Apple collection: Secret Stanford warehouse houses company history Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:56 PM PST Thirty-five years of Apple memorabilia make up a museum-like collection of company archives that are hidden away in an off-campus Stanford University warehouse. Stanford’s Apple Collection takes up more than 600 feet of shelf space in a climate-controlled facility at a location kept secret from the public, said the Associated Press, which paid a visit to the archives. Should you ever be let in — and one can only dream at this point — you would find a company video of co-founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs talking about the Apple I computer, the iconic 1984 Super Bowl ad, a video interview of Wozniak recounting the story behind the company’s name, early financial reports, old letters and thousands of Douglas Menuez photographs from his time chronicling Jobs’ stretch at NeXT. The story, according to the Associated Press report, is that Apple ditched its plans for a corporate museum in 1997, shortly after Jobs’ return as CEO, and instead donated an expansive collection of documents, books, photos, software, videos and early magazine and TV ads to Stanford for preservation. The archives, part of Stanford’s larger Silicon Valley Archives collection, continue to be replenished by the ongoing donations of former Apple employees, past executives and company fans. Filed under: VentureBeat        
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| Nintendo, Sony and EA quietly drop SOPA support Posted: 30 Dec 2011 03:21 PM PST
For anyone who’s unfamiliar with it, the proposed SOPA legislation gives both the U.S. government and copyright holders the authority to seek court orders against websites associated with infringing, pirating or counterfeiting intellectual property. If the act passes, it could drastically change the way the Internet operates. On the surface, the gaming companies probably threw their support to the bill because it would also help curb piracy of gaming. However, I’m sure they’ve been paying attention to the onslaught of negative press and customer dissidence experienced by domain registrar Go Daddy over the last few weeks. In Sony’s case, it’s probably best to stay clear of any piece of legislation that would draw attention from activists. Earlier today, “hacktivist” group Anonymous pledged to once again take down Sony’s Playstation online gaming network due to the company’s SOPA support. Overall, public support for SOPA seems to be crumbling, as a number of big companies have removed their names from the official congressional list (see a PDF of what companies still support SOPA). For more information about the SOPA legislation, check out VentureBeat's ongoing SOPA coverage. Via Electronista Filed under: games, media, VentureBeat        
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| Intel’s first Android smartphone will be made by LG, shown off at CES Posted: 30 Dec 2011 02:18 PM PST
Intel will be showing off an LG smartphone running Android and its Medfield mobile processor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which is only a few weeks away, reports the Korea Times. Intel Korea head Lee Hee-sung confirmed to the paper that the company would announce a Medfield smartphone at CES, and unnamed high-level exec said that it would be made by LG. The companies partnered earlier this year for a MeeGo smartphone (which was also showed off at CES), but plans for that fell through. It makes sense for Intel to team up with LG yet again, since the Korean phone maker could desperately use the subsidies that Intel provides to its partners. And Intel needs a hardware manufacturer that can make high-quality devices — something LG has proven with its 2011 Android smartphone lineup. Intel has missed out on providing chips for the current generation of smartphones and tablets, so it needs to make sure to wow the CES audience with whatever it shows off. The above picture shows a reference Medfield phone that looks similar to the iPhone 4. Another LG executive told the Korea Times, “I doubt that LG Electronics will release phones running on Android software based on any Intel platform. It's quite possible for LG to push Intel's reference mobiles but with huge subsidies from Intel for promotion.” This sheds some doubt on the report, though I can’t imagine Intel would introduce a new phone running anything but Android. Filed under: mobile, VentureBeat        
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| No Facebook Timeline for Internet Explorer 7 users Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:42 PM PST
“IE7 users visiting profile pages that would otherwise be Timeline-enabled are presented with the old Facebook profile design, complete with a number of very evident styling issues,” The Sociable is reporting. Before you cry foul, keep in mind that IE7, like IE6, is going the way of the dodo. The outdated browser, released in Oct. 2006, was holding on to 10.5 percent of the browser market at the start of 2011, but has since dropped off to just 4 percent global market share, according to StatCounter. The silver lining here is that should you wish to avoid Timeline altogether — we know change is hard — you can turn to IE7 as your knight in shining armor. Though this could be the beginning of the end for IE7 support from Facebook. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for clarification. Its help center also does not indicate which browsers the social network officially supports. Instead, a help entry recommends that members use the most up-to-date version of Firefox, Safari, Chrome or Internet Explorer. Image via kk/Flickr Filed under: social, VentureBeat        
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| Law firm threatens to shut Twitter down for allowing terrorist groups to tweet Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:00 PM PST
In a letter to Twitter, Shurat HaDin executive director Nitsana Darshan-Leitner called Twitter’s allowing Hezbollah and Al-Shabaab (a group affiliated with Al Quaeda) to use the service “illegal” and threatened both the company and its executives with civil and criminal lawsuits. Hezbollah is a Shi’a Muslim militant group and political party based in Lebanon. Many Western governments classify Hezbollah as a partly or wholly terrorist organization. The letter from Shurat HaDin goes on to mention a 2010 Supreme Court decision that states providing material or even intangible support to foreign terrorist organizations is a crime. The law center feels that allowing access to social media tools constitutes support, in this case. In the past year, the law center has also contemplated going after Facebook because of several Facebook pages created by Palestinian activists that called for a Third Intifada (or rebellion against occupation of Palestine by Israel). While Shurat HaDin noted the similarities between this proposed action and the other rebellions of the Arab Spring, the center also said the pages included “a call to a killing of hundreds of Israelis as happened in the first and second Intifada.” However, Shurat HaDin never followed through on the threats. In response to a separate lawsuit from another attorney, a Facebook representative stated at the time, “While some kinds of comments and content may be upsetting for someone — criticism of a certain culture, country, religion, lifestyle, or political ideology, for example — that alone is not a reason to remove the discussion. “We strongly believe that Facebook users have the ability to express their opinions, and we don't typically take down content, groups or pages that speak out against countries, religions, political entities, or ideas." Twitter declined to comment on the threatened legal action. However, the company has a longstanding commitment to free speech, especially in the politically turbulent Middle East. From the Iranian elections and protests in 2009 to the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, Twitter has been an important tool for shifting regimes and budding democracies. The service is also used by more Western movements such as Occupy Wall Street. “We're the free speech wing of the free speech party," said Twitter CEO Dick Costolo at an event in October. “We respect and defend the user's voice.” The line between free speech and hate speech is often a fine one; we’ll update you if and when Shurat HaDin determines that Twitter has crossed this line and decides to follow through on its threat. Filed under: social        
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| Updated: Verizon reverses $2 fee after FCC inquiry, customer outrage Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:31 PM PST Update, 12:31pm PST: Verizon wireless has reversed its decision to institute a $2 fee on customers paying their bills online. The company released a statement confirming the about-face on Friday, a couple hours after the Federal Communications Commission decided to look into the fee. The statement reads:
Verizon‘s new $2 service fee for one-off online payments came under the scrutiny of the Federal Communications Commission, according to a statement by the agency on Friday. "On behalf of American consumers, we're concerned about Verizon's actions and are looking into the matter," the FCC told the New York Times. Verizon announced its new fee on Thursday, targeting customers who pay their bills one-at-a-time online or by phone. The fee, which would have cost consumers $2 per online credit or debit card transaction, puts emphasis on Verizon’s free methods of payment. These include signing up for autopay and automatic deduction from a bank account or electronic check. After receiving the news, customers quickly opposed the new plan, voicing opinions on social networks. The outrage might have also been spurred by three Verizon Wireless outages that occurred this month. The company explained the downtime was simply an issue of “growing pains” implementing its LTE 4G service, in a statement today. Some irate customers organized an online boycott of Verizon on Causes.org. A similar boycott was held when Bank of America announced a fee for debit card usage, which the bank quickly retracted. Verizon called this a “convenience fee,” though it really seemed to be an effort to avoid credit and debit card fees. As VentureBeat reporter Tom Cheredar pointed out on Thursday, customers have a reason to be concerned about signing up for an automated direct withdrawal system. Wireless carrier bills are notorious for being different every month. Many customers feel they have been over charged upon receiving a bill, and want to challenge those charges before making a payment. In fact, in 2010 Verizon admitted to over charging 15 million customers. We have contacted the FCC and Verizon for comment and will update this post upon hearing back. Image via Ian P. Miller/Flickr Filed under: mobile        
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| Verizon convenience fee sparks Change.org petition Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:12 PM PST
Change.org is the same site that was effective in getting Bank of America to reverse its decision to implement a debit card fee to customers. The Verizon convenience fee petition already has 33,465 signatures — roughly half of the 75,000 it seeks. Verizon’s convenience fee, which begins January 15, 2012, is part of the company’s effort to cut costs on fees accumulated from credit transactions. If you prefer to use a credit card, Verizon is willing to waive the fee for anyone who signs up for automatic payments online. You can also avoid the fee by paying your bill via snail mail with a check/money order, setting up a direct payment through your bank or going to a Verizon store. While a $2 “convenience” charge to pay by credit card won’t break the bank for most customers, it still has Verizon wireless customers upset. “It's not just about the money… though if you're like me, you don't have extra cash to be sending to a giant phone company in order to pay your own bills,” writes the petition’s creator and Verizon customer Molly Katchpole. “It's that Verizon thinks it can do anything to its customers, and that we're powerless to stop it. (Spoiler alert: We're not.)” This isn’t the first time Katchpole has petitioned on Change.org. She also created the Bank of America debit card fee petition which, in addition to successfully helping change BoA’s policy, won her accolades such as being named one of Time Magazine’s protestors of the year. Now she’s set her sights on Verizon’s new policy. U.S. regulators are also concerned with Verizon’s new convenience fee policy. The Federal Communications Commission has plans to investigate the matter, as VentureBeat reporter Meghan Kelly reported earlier today. Protest Sign image via ShutterStock Filed under: mobile, social, VentureBeat        
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| How Washington went social in 2011 Posted: 30 Dec 2011 12:00 PM PST
On Facebook specifically, the past year has brought us quite a few memorable highlights — especially as Republican candidates were put through their primary paces and the country geared up for another election year. But it wasn’t all about political campaigning and self-promotion. Facebook was also a strong platform for speaking out on social issues such as preventing anti-gay bullying and working to decrease unemployment. “Whether fighting for political victory or connecting one-on-one with voters, politicians made 2011 the most social year ever,” wrote Facebook’s politics team on the company blog. “As we head into 2012, Facebook users can look forward to a Facebook/NBC presidential debate and the vigor of a general election campaign sure to play out across pages, live streams and sponsored stories.” Here are some of the most notable moments in politics on Facebook in 2011. State of the Union Address got Facebook-izedFacebook users (and non-user visitors) were able to see President Barack Obama's State of the Union address live streamed on C-SPAN's Facebook page. On Republican House Speaker John Boehner's Facebook page, visitors could tune in to watch the Republican response. Obama’s senior officials made the annual State of the Union address more democratic when they took questions from Facebook users address. Citizens asked questions about topics ranging from foreign policy to the sluggish economy. Pages for both political parties invited Facebook users to leave comments about the content of both speeches. Also, the White House made a special behind-the-scenes SOTU video for its Facebook page, giving viewers more details about how the speech was written. Facebook for the right wingIn March, early Republican would-bes made preliminary appearances on the social network. Texas Governor Rick Perry appeared on a Facebook Live episode from SXSW, and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced his presidential exploratory committee on his Facebook page. Michele Bachmann also live-streamed a Facebook town hall meeting. In May, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain and Ron Paul each announced their presidential campaigns via their Facebook pages. Mike Huckabee took to Facebook to explain to voters why he would not be running for President. Mitt Romney hosted a Facebook town hall during this month, and Bachmann experienced a huge outpouring of support by voters on her Facebook page, which nearly prompted her to move up her campaign announcement. In June, Romney formally entered the 2012 race with a livestreamed announcement on Facebook. During an October press conference live-streamed on his Facebook page, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie disappointed more than a few voters with an announcement that he would not be going after the Republican nomination. Putting the kibbosh on bullyingFacebook has put a strong focus on removing bigotry and hatred from its pages, particularly since last year's rash of news-making suicides related to the bullying of homosexual teens and young adults. As the network continued to beef up its focus on appropriate use and personal privacy settings, members of Congress joined with President Obama and Facebook to help fight bullying in a series of Facebook Live episodes and posts to their official pages. "Facebook believes in addressing safety issues proactively — and building a trusted environment is fundamental to our mission and to ensuring a positive experience for people who use our site," Facebook representative Andrew Noyes told VentureBeat in a recent email. Facebook’s Obama-led Town HallOn April 20, the White House hosted a Facebook Town Hall. For this auspicious occasion, President Obama himself made an appearance at Facebook’s Silicon Valley headquarters. Just before the event, Obama encouraged Facebook users to ask their questions about the issues that they felt were the most important. During the town hall, the President spoke about the struggling American economy, about technology’s role in decreasing unemployment and his efforts to conclude our eight-year-long war in Iraq. Obama wasn’t the only one using Facebook as a town hall sounding board. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan jointly hosted a town hall to discuss education policy. The event was shared by both politicos on their Facebook pages, where they also took questions from Facebook users. Osama bin Laden’s death & the Situation Room picsFollowing the long-awaited capture and death of Osama bin Laden, the White House took to Facebook to show a photo gallery of military bases around the world responding to the event. The Department of Defense also published the now-famous Situation Room photo of President Obama and his team (above) as they watched and waited for news about the military operation to put an end to bin Laden. Many members of Congress discussed the death of Osama bin Laden on their Facebook pages, some within minutes of the announcement from the White House. In the days to follow, members used their pages as a sounding board for reconsidering the mission in Afghanistan. President George W. Bush and numerous other public figures posted statements regarding Osama bin Laden's death on Facebook The Arab Spring on FacebookAs unrest in Egypt grew in February, lawmakers started using their Facebook pages to share thoughts on the uprisings and the political repercussions for democracy in far-flung corners of the world. In some cases, members of Congress even directly encouraged the White House to take direct action to support the freedom-fighting rebels. Overall, news items about the civil unrest and political revolution in the Middle East and northern Africa made up the sixth most popular news topic on Facebook in 2011. Congress sponsored a hackathonOn December 7, House majority leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) and minority whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), as well as a collection of members of Congress and Congressional staff, hosted the first ever bi-partisan Congressional Hackathon in the Capitol Visitors Center in Washington. The hackathon called on Facebook’s programmers and innovators to work with Congress on a core concern: using technologies to safely and securely allow more room online for various aspects of the democratic process. "Software developers, designers and program engineers have a unique opportunity to help us improve the legislative process resulting in more citizen engagement, and we are very excited about working together and getting started," said Cantor at the time. Filed under: social        
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| Facebook gains on Google with 30% increase in unique U.S. visitors in 2 years Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:54 AM PST
Facebook’s unique U.S. visitor count has increased by 29.5 percent since Oct. 2009, according to Nielsen data shared exclusively with VentureBeat. Compare that to the 5.4 percent increase in U.S. visitors to Google sites in the same two-year period, and you have the makings of a Facebook coming-of-age story that could end with the social network ousting Google as the king of the web. That juicy climax could still be several years away as both companies battle for attention from the remaining sliver of U.S. Internet users not already using their products (213 million Americans were active online in Nov. 2011, by Nielsen’s calculations). While Facebook may have experienced nearly 30 percent growth in its U.S. audience in two years, the company can’t possibly sustain that type of growth in market penetration. As proof: the year-over-year change of unique U.S. visitors to Facebook slowed to 5.7 percent from Oct. 2010 to Oct. 2011, according to Nielsen. Still, we decided to do some rudimentary calculations based on Oct. 2010 and Oct. 2011 Nielsen unique visitor data. If unique U.S. visitors to Facebook and Google were to increase at the same rate year-over-year (which is unlikely, we admit) — 5.7 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively — then Facebook would overtake Google as the most-visited web brand by Oct. 2016. By 2016, will the title of most-visited web brand mean what it means today? Probably not. As consumers increasingly transfer their browsing and social behaviors to mobile devices — IDC research predicts that by 2015 more people in the U.S. will access the web via mobile than via PCs — the most important battleground for both companies will be mobile. And Facebook may have the edge on mobile. Social media is now the fastest-growing mobile activity, according to recent comScore data, and the social network’s U.S. monthly mobile audience grew to 57 million in August 2011. Image via xjy/Flickr Filed under: social, VentureBeat        
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Major game companies Nintendo, Sony and Electronic Arts have quietly removed themselves from the official list of organizations that support the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
Intel has already 
Israeli legal center Shurat HaDin has threatened to sue Twitter for allowing alleged terrorist groups to use the service.
A petition on 
Politicos have been warming to social media since the 2008 Obama campaign, and 2011 saw more online activity than ever before from U.S. government leaders.
New evidence suggests that 
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