Filed under: Internet

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FCC: ‘Super Wi-Fi’ could be a year away

A new flavor of Wi-Fi, with longer range and wall-piercing power, could show up in wireless gadgets a year from now if the Federal Communications Commission works out the last details of new spectrum rules that have been long in the making.

Nearly two years ago, the FCC voted to open up the airwaves between broadcast TV channels — so-called “white spaces” — for wireless broadband connections that would work like Wi-Fi on steroids. But wrangling over key technical details, including concerns about interference with TV signals and wireless microphones, has prevented exploitation of these spaces. Get the full story »

EBay wins legal ruling against Craigslist

EBay Inc. on Thursday won a lawsuit over Craigslist Inc.’s move to deprive the online auction giant of its seat on the online classifieds group’s board. Get the full story »

GM testing audio Facebook updates in cars

General Motors Co. is testing software that would let drivers talk to their cars to update status messages on the Facebook social media Web site, as well as listen to Facebook messages, the company said Wednesday. Get the full story »

Netflix to add more streamed movies

Netflix Inc. has reached an agreement to license first-run theatrical movies distributed by Nu Image/Millennium Films for online streaming during the “pay TV window,” when they’re usually available on premium TV channels.

Shares rose 3.11 percent, to $146.20, in late afternoon trading. The stock has more than doubled so far this year.  Get the full story »

Google claims to speed searches with Instant

Google Inc. unveiled a set of enhancements to its Internet search engine Wednesday that predict search queries as users type, promising to speed up the time it takes to find information online.

Google Instant, which is being launched Wednesday in the United States, delivers search results on a Web page before a user finishes typing in a query. The search results displayed on the page refresh and change as the user continues typing additional letters of the search term. Get the full story »

Crain’s publisher steps down, No. 2 steps up

David Blake is stepping down after 10 years as publisher of Crain’s Chicago Business, which on Tuesday named Associate Publisher David Snyder his successor, effective Oct. 15.

Through the end of the year, Blake, 56, will mentor Snyder, 48, and shepherd the launch of a new online and event business that will focus on the region’s health care economy, among other projects for the weekly publication and its Internet platforms.

David Blake is stepping down after 10 years as publisher of tCrain’s Chicago Business, which on Tuesday named Associate Publisher David Snyder his successor, effective Oct. 15.

Through the end of the year, Blake, 56, will mentor Snyder, 48, and shepherd the launch of a new online and event business that will focus on the region’s healthcare economy, among other projects for the weekly publication and its Internet platforms.

Google settles privacy suit over Buzz network

Google Inc. has settled a lawsuit accusing it of privacy violations in connection with its Buzz social networking service, according to a court document filed Friday.

The settlement filing comes the same day Google said it would simplify and update its privacy policies, Associate General Counsel Mike Yang said on the company’s Web site. Get the full story »

Google, AOL extend Web search pact

Google Inc. and AOL Inc. have agreed to extend their search partnership for five years and expanded their pact into mobile search and online video, two areas expected to grow as the media business transitions to digital communications.

The deal helps Google protect its dominant share of the fast-growing Web search business from smaller competitors,  including Microsoft Corp.  and IAC/InteractiveCorp.  Get the full story »

Illinois AG suing firm for identity protection charges

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Thursday she is suing a California company for charging consumers for identity protection services that they never requested.

The lawsuit, filed in Sangamon County Circuit Court, claims that ID Lifeguards Inc. of Glendale, Calif., charged $157,562 on the phone bills of 5,071 Illinois consumers between September 2009 and March 2010. Get the full story »

U.S. delays web traffic rules

Communications regulators on Wednesday put off a controversial decision on Internet traffic rules, giving industry and consumer groups a chance to forge a compromise while avoiding a politically sensitive issue ahead of the November elections. Get the full story »

Facebook founder says suit a fishing expedition

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg says a lawsuit by a man who claims to own a huge chunk of the popular social networking site is seeking to uncover needless details about his private life.

Zuckerberg is fighting a civil lawsuit filed by Paul Ceglia,  who claims an 84 percent stake in the privately held company, believed to be worth several billion dollars. Get the full story »

Gmail to add mind-reading priority mailbox

Google is adding a new feature in Gmail that will automatically spotlight important e-mails and separate out the ones you can wait to read later.

The tool, called “priority inbox,“ works like a spam filter, except instead of filtering e-mails that you definitely don’t want to see, it moves the ones you really want to the top. Google said the feature will help users sort through inboxes that fill up with hundreds of automated e-mails that don’t need immediate attention. Get the full story »

MySpace users can now sync posts to Facebook

MySpace, which recently revamped itself to look more like Facebook, is now allowing users to sync their posts to Facebook, too. That means people on Facebook can see their friends’ MySpace items without leaving Facebook. Get the full story »

Licensing deal to keep AP on Google

Google Inc. will be able to continue posting content from The Associated Press under a new licensing deal the companies announced Monday after months of sometimes thorny negotiations.

The AP said in a statement that the two companies also will work together  to improve discovery and distribution of news. Get the full story »

Meijer introduces digital coupon program

Meijer Inc. said Monday it is launching a new digital coupon program where shoppers can choose coupons from the store’s Web site and redeem them by entering their mobile phone numbers at check-out.

The mPerks program rolls out this week at the superstore chain’s 196 stores in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Customers can sign up for an account linked to their personal cell phone number at mperks.meijer.com. Shoppers select coupons from the site to be stored in their account. At check-out, keying in the phone number redeems all applicable coupons. Get the full story »