Ian Paul

Google Earth is coming to your web browser. Last week, at the Google I/O conference, the company unveiled the new browser plug-in and Application Programming Interface (API) that can turn a Google Map on any web page into a 3D Google Earth ... application. (Source: google.com) In a blog post, Paul Rademacher, the Google Earth plug-in Technical Lead said that with the Google Earth plug-in you can "control the camera; create lines, markers, and polygons; import 3D models from the web and overlay them anywhere on the planet. In fact, you can even overlay your content over different planets, stars, ... (view more)

In Part 1, Microsoft attempted to takeover Yahoo, but withdrew after discussions proved unfruitful. In this installment, Carl Icahn rides in to resurrect the deal and investors start to line up behind him. Will Jerry Yang and his crew fall to the ... Icahn raiders? We'll find out soon enough. May 3, 2008: After four months of phone calls, sit downs, dueling press releases and letters, Steven Ballmer officially withdraws Microsoft's offer to acquire Yahoo. (Source: microsoft.com ) May 5, 2008: Billionaire investor and hostile takeover veteran, Carl Icahn begins to increase his ownership of Yahoo ... (view more)

Carl Icahn recently announced he was initiating a hostile takeover for Yahoo, and Microsoft released a statement on Saturday that they would be open to a transaction with their rival after backing off from their own takeover bid earlier this year. ... (Source: nypost.com ) This is just the latest development in a saga that has lasted so long you need a scorecard to keep track of the drama. So in the spirit of helping you navigate this epic boardroom battle, we are proud to present Infopackets' "A Brief History of the Yahoo Takeover Bid" Part 1. January 31, 2008: Microsoft CEO makes a late night ... (view more)

Google recently made a preview release of its Friend Connect service available, which allows websites to add social networking features to its pages. Registration, invitations, members galleries, message posting, reviews and 3rd party applications ... based on Google's Open Social platform can all be added. (Source: google.com) The search giant has designed Friend Connect to interact with most of the major social networks, but is currently available on limited websites, such as singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson's. The Michaelson site uses the iLike application that allows fans to interact and ... (view more)

HBO has joined the iPod revolution by offering a selection of its television shows on the iTunes store. On Tuesday, the premium cable channel announced it would sell single episodes and whole seasons of mega-hits like the Sopranos and Sex and the ... City, as well as Deadwood, Flight of the Conchords, Rome and The Wire. (Source: apple.com ) In a surprise move Apple has agreed to premium pricing for some of HBO's programming. The Sopranos, Deadwood and Rome will cost $2.99 per episode, while the others will be for sale at the regular iTunes price of $1.99. Last year, NBC pulled its television ... (view more)

Jajah just landed a deal to manage VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calls for Yahoo! Messenger. Beginning in the third quarter of 2008, the web-based telephony company will add the Internet portal's 97 million users to its own base of 10 million ... Jajah customers. Whether or not users will notice the difference is unclear. (Source: marketwire.com ) While both services use pre-paid credits, the pricing system is slightly different. Yahoo, for example, charges less than Jajah for U.S. long distance, while the reverse is true for international calls. Of course, neither service can compare to ... (view more)

In a shocking turn of events, Microsoft has withdrawn its bid to take over rival Yahoo. The decision appears to be costing the Internet portal's investors dearly; yesterday, Yahoo's stock price plummeted $4.20, finishing the day at $24.47. It's a ... new low for a stock price fluctuating around $28 since Microsoft and Yahoo began their stand off. (Source: microsoft.com ) The nosedive that Yahoo's stock took seems to contradict claims made by CEO Jerry Yang that Microsoft's offer, at $33-per-share, substantially undervalued the company. The Yahoo board was holding out for a price that would have ... (view more)

The iPhone is headed to Canada. Rogers, one of the country's largest wireless carriers, announced on Tuesday that it would be rolling out the popular Apple device in the near future. (Source: ctv.ca ) "We're thrilled to announce that we have a deal ... with Apple to bring the iPhone to Canada," said company president Ted Rogers in a statement. "We can't tell you any more about it right now, but stay tuned." (Source: ctv.ca ) The fact that Rogers will be the exclusive carrier for the iPhone came as no surprise, since it is the only major Canadian network compatible with Apple's device. However, ... (view more)

Madonna is going online tonight and fans can catch all of her sexy moves for free. That's right, the Material Girl's concert at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City will be webcast live on music.msn.com/madonna starting at 10 PM ET for US viewers. ... (Source: microsoft.com ) International audiences will have to wait until May 15 when the concert will be available on-demand. However, select countries around the world will also be given the opportunity to view the live concert. Vodafone, one of the world's leading mobile carriers, will sponsor the webstream for their customers in Cyprus, Egypt, ... (view more)

Yahoo posted its first quarter earnings for 2008 on Tuesday, exceeding expectations by a small margin. The company posted a 9 percent increase in revenue for a total 1.81 billion dollars. This would seem to give strength to the Internet portal in ... its ongoing confrontation with Microsoft, which is hoping to buy Yahoo and become a stronger online competitor against Google. (Source: nytimes.com ) Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang made claims earlier in the month that Microsoft's current offer of $31 per share substantially undervalues the company, and refused to sell at that price. While Yang now has some ... (view more)