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Google Inc. announced a major change to its powerful search engine to reduce the appearance of what it calls “low-quality” Web sites in results.
The move comes after months of criticism from a few technology-industry insiders and an acknowledgement by Google last month that it “can and should do better” to beat back sites that game its system to rise up in search results but offer users little value. Get the full story »
Daily deals Web site Groupon Inc. saw its revenue surge to $760 million last year from $33 million the previous year, with more than a third of its 2010 sales coming from outside the U.S., according to an internal memo.
The e-mail, sent by Groupon Chief Executive Andrew Mason to staffers in early January, also reveals the founder’s grand ambitions for the company started three years ago. Mason writes that he hopes to achieve “billions in revenue” in 2011. Get the full story »
Motorola’s new Xoom tablet computer has enough power under the hood to challenge Apple Inc.’s iPad, according to analysis by market researchers IHS iSuppli, but buyers might be disappointed to find that it will need new hardware to work on new, high-speed networks. Get the full story »
Dave Duerson had barely been dead for a day before memorabilia owners took to eBay, but goods related to the former Chicago Bears safety are turning out to be a hard sell.
About two-thirds of the 44 Duerson products listed on eBay have been posted since he committed suicide on Feb. 17. They range from 25 cents for a Topps card to $1,200 for a jersey he wore while playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Duerson played on the 1985 Bears team that won the Super Bowl, and also appeared in four Pro Bowls. Get the full story »
CBS Corp. struck a partnership with Netflix Inc. allowing the online video company to stream CBS library content, including television shows “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Twilight Zone” to Netflix subscribers. Get the full story »
Bloomberg News | YouTube says it has been talking with the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League to broadcast live games, part of a move into sports programming stated last year with cricket in India.
Comcast surpassed analysts’ estimates for its earnings in the final quarter of 2010 — its final period before adding NBC Universal to its mix. The company’s operating income grew rose 10.8 percent for the quarter. Revenue was up 7.2 percent to $9.72 billion.
Now the work begins. Despite all of the talk about the importance of fixing the ailing NBC broadcast network or the glamour of entering the movie business, Roberts said the first priority of his lieutenant, NBC Universal Chief Executive Steve Burke, would be “to maintain the strong momentum and focus of the cable channels.”
Chicago-based Orbitz Worldwide Inc.’s fourth-quarter loss widened as revenue increased but the company booked $79.5 million of impairments.
The company also forecast current-quarter revenue of $177 million to $184 million. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect $194 million. Get the full story »
Online travel agencies remain a big hit with shoppers, new survey data show, but the sites’ popularity could fade if contract battles with airlines leave them with fewer airfares to lure bargain-chasing consumers, researchers warned.
With airfares soaring and the economy stuck in the doldrums, consumers continue to flock to travel sites to plot dream vacations and research deals and steals, a market that’s expected to total $104.6 billion in 2011, according to market research firm PhoCusWright Inc. Get the full story »
AFP | Google Inc. on Monday gave users of its Chrome Web browser the ability to block search results from low-quality Web sites known as content farms.
Google’s principal engineer, Matt Cutts, said Chrome users can download and install an extension for Chrome that blocks sites which provide “shallow or low-quality content” from their search results. Get the full story »
Google search trends show that Valentine’s Day searches for “personalized dog gifts” — such as a doggie sweater, collar or water bowl with a pooch’s name on it — are more than 10 percent higher than searches for “personalized husband gifts.”
Overall, searches on Google for “Valentine’s Day dog gifts” are up 30 percent this year over 2010. Get the full story »
