Industry News

YouTube ban lifted in Thailand
Censors in Thailand have lifted their blanket ban on YouTube videos after five months.

Microsoft to offer software over the internet
Software and search engine giant Microsoft will make free software available this week that connects its Windows operating system to software delivered over the internet, the New York Times reports.

Google News hosting AP content
Google has begun hosting material produced by four news services, including the Associated Press (AP).

Significant user overlap among search engines
Major search leaders experienced significant audience overlap with other top companies from June to July, new research has revealed.

YouTube ads prove popular with users
Google's addition of semi-transparent advertisements to its video-sharing site YouTube is proving effective, the Seattle Times reports.

Google patents mobile phone payment system
The publication of a patent filing has increased speculation that Google is getting ready to launch a service that would enable users to pay for purchases using SMS text messages.

Yahoo! buys BlueLithium
Yahoo! has strengthened its online advertising network by purchasing internet marketing business BlueLithium.

Local.com renews Yahoo! agreement
US website Local.com has announced that it has renewed a multi-year agreement with search engine Yahoo!

Google has court case success
American Blind & Wallpaper Factory has dropped its four-year legal case against Google, according to reports from Reuters.

Facebook opens to search engines
Social networking site Facebook is opening up the details of its users to the internet at large.