Battle for Tech-Savvy New Grads Heats Up

Parent Google plans to create about 20 premium channels

(NEWSER) - Those videos of napping pets and lame karaoke are nice and all, but YouTube is looking for something a little more ... professional. The Wall Street Journal reports that big changes are in the works at the site, which plans to put a much heavier emphasis on its own original content. Parent Google is spending $100 million to create programming—figure up to 10 hours a week—that would be featured on about 20 premium YouTube channels. It's already in contact with Hollywood's big talent agencies, and the changes could begin by the end of the year. More»

Blogs report conflicting information on 'Google Circles'

(NEWSER) - Google will soon launch a social network, blogs are saying, and it may be called Google Circles. The tech blog The Next Web first reported the news Friday, noting that the product would launch at Google’s I/O conference in May; ReadWriteWeb followed with an assertion that the new service would be announced at South By Southwest. Google knocked down the latter claim, but refused to “comment on rumor and speculation” about the service itself, the Telegraph reports. More»

Expanding corporate campus will have employee housing

(NEWSER) - Some Google employees will soon be able to live their lives under the shadow of the company—in Googletown, a residential complex to be built on an old space base in Silicon Valley . Google's not actually calling the mini-city that—it's Gawker's phrase —but it will be filled with all the luxuries that have made Google's offices legendary—athletic facilities, parks, child care, posh housing, gourmet grocers, and restaurants—all surrounding the headquarters in Mountain View. More»

Tech giant honcho Eric Schmidt met with GOP transition head

(NEWSER) - Google’s CEO made a stop at the House Republican transition office days after the election—but not to talk politics. In a discussion centered around upping Congressional efficiency, Eric Schmidt spoke with GOP transition head Greg Walden, explaining how Google could help Congress by making it possible to edit bills in real time, reducing printing costs. Walden expressed concerns about the “antiquated” state of the House, Politico reports, noting that the meeting reflects the degree to which the GOP is thinking about shaking up the House. More»

Esquire : Sites that were before their time

(NEWSER) - Everything old is new again, especially on the Web. Some of today's tech darlings owe a lot to websites of years past. Here are some of Esquire's 15 favorite, and mostly kaput, Web 1.0 pioneers:

1. Dodgeball (2000) "A location-based social network for mobile devices, and the Internet's gift to stalkers," says Esquire. Today's Foursquare was co-created by one of its founders.