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Columbia College, YouTube to offer digital courses

Columbia College Chicago is partnering with YouTube to launch a program that will train “aspiring content creators” how to produce and market their digital work.

San Bruno, Calif.-based YouTube, which is a subsidiary of Google Inc., is also working with the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. The YouTube Creator Institute, as the program is called, is accepting applications through March 25 for its inaugural classes at each of the two partner schools. In Chicago, the program will accept 10 students and run between June 1 and July 22. Get the full story »

LinkedIn to add industry-relevant news

LinkedIn, the online network that connects professionals, unveiled a “social news product” Thursday that provides members with the top news in their industry circles.

Using social networks as an arbiter of personally relevant information is nothing new in the online world, where sites such as StumbleUpon, Reddit and Digg help members sift through the vast amount of content on the Web, from news articles to videos to blog posts. Sharing links and commenting on content is also a major part of what Facebook and Twitter users do on those networks. Get the full story »

AOL to shed 900 jobs, beef up content

AOL Chief Executive Tim Armstrong said Thursday that the company is cutting 200 jobs in the U.S. and 700 in India after its $315 million purchase of the Huffington Post.

Armstrong, speaking at the Bloomberg Media Summit in New York City, lamented the cuts but said AOL is “much more healthy” than it was a few years ago. Get the full story »

Fla. judge says debt collector can’t use Facebook

A Florida judge has ordered a debt collection agency to not use Facebook — or any other social media site — in an attempt to locate a woman for a $362 unpaid car loan.

Judge W. Douglas Baird also ordered Mark One Financial LLC of Jacksonville, Fla., to not contact the woman’s family or friends on Facebook. Get the full story »

Minn. man sues Groupon over expiration dates

Groupon Inc., an online provider of daily e-mails offering deals on everything from restaurants to dance lessons, was sued Tuesday by a Minnesota man who alleges the expiration dates on the company’s discounts are deceptive and illegal. Get the full story »

Report: Apple seeks unlimited music downloads

Apple Inc.  is in talks with record labels to give customers of Apple’s iTunes service unlimited access to music purchased across multiple devices, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the plans. Get the full story »

‘Daily deals’ come to Bing with a reported glitch

Microsoft has launched a daily deals service, integrating offers from industry leaders such as Groupon and LivingSocial into its Bing search engine for the desktop and mobile devices.

The move puts Microsoft into the daily deals space, but as an aggregator rather than a direct provider of discounts. Yahoo! launched an aggregation service, Local Offers, in November. Get the full story »

Sears latest store chain to woo Amazon affiliates

Sears Holdings Corp. on Thursday invited sales affiliates worried about losing Amazon business to direct their online traffic to Sears.com. The Hoffman Estates-based company joins a growing chorus of other retailers looking to cash in on Amazon’s battle with state governments over collecting sales tax.

In an open letter written Thursday, Sears eCommerce President Imran Jooma said he wanted affiliates “around the country to know that you have a place with us.”

Amazon.com, the world’s largest online retailer, relies on a fleet of deal sites and other online portals to direct customers to Amazon.com. The affiliate websites typically send potential customers to Amazon’s website in exchange for a cut of sales. Get the full story »

Twitter CEO: No IPO or funding talks

Twitter has no plan to go public in the near future and does not need additional funds because it is making money, the co-founder of the popular microblogging site said. Biz Stone also dismissed reports JPMorgan Chase & Co. was in talks to buy 10 percent of Twitter for $450 million, which would have valued the company at $4.5 billion. Get the full story »

Super Bowl ad boosts Groupon traffic just 3%

From Fast Company | Daily discount service Groupon spent millions of dollars on a couple controversial Super Bowl spots and what did it get them? During the week following the Super Bowl compared to the week prior, Groupon increased traffic by a paltry 3 percent — a negligible boost given the hundred million-plus consumers who viewed it live.

By comparison, GoDaddy.com’s ad boosted traffic 41 percent in terms of unique visits, the biggest lift for any sponsor. Volkswagen and HomeAway traffic jumped 27 percent and HomeAway.com. Even Mercedes-Benz saw a 9 percent boost. Get the full story >>

Info-tech consultant taps Groupon for half-off deal

A local information technology consulting firm is tapping group-buying site Groupon to offer its services at a steep discount — a $12,500 discount, to be precise.

Rolling Meadows-based Ajilitee, which specializes in analytics and cloud computing, on Tuesday launched a deal on Groupon that offers buyers $25,000 worth of consulting services for $12,500. The firm’s foray into group buying makes them among the first companies to experiment with the technology platform for the business-to-business sector, as Chicago-based Groupon and its rivals primarily offer consumer deals such as discounts on restaurants and salons. Get the full story »

Amazon announces Android app store

Bloomberg News | Amazon.com plans to open an app store to sell software for the Android operating system. It will join the more than 30 stores selling the mobile-phone downloads.

US Airways to offer all services on Travelocity

Travelocity said Tuesday it signed a multiyear deal with US Airways  to offer the carrier’s full range of content through the Sabre Holdings global distribution system, a third party agent that owns Travelocity. Get the full story »

Motorola touts wide rollout of phone/laptop tech

Motorola Mobility is planning to make its webtop application, which connects a smart phone with a laptop dock to simulate a desktop experience, a common feature on most of its high-end devices by year-end, Chief Executive Sanjay Jha said Monday.

Motorola introduced the webtop functionality at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, when it unveiled the Atrix, a smart phone running Google’s Android operating system. The Atrix, which will go on sale at AT&T stores next week, nestles into a thin laptop dock with an 11.6-inch display and full keyboard. The phone powers the set-up, which gives the user full PC capabilities, including Web-based desktop applications. Get the full story »

JPMorgan reported in talks for Twitter stake

A new JPMorgan Chase & Co. technology fund is in talks to buy a substantial stake in Internet messaging and communications site Twitter, the Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the plans.

According to the report, JPMorgan’s Digital Growth fund hopes to acquire 10 percent of Twitter for $450 million, valuing the company at $4.5 billion. Get the full story »