Google: We Have 'Moral' Duty to Help Journalism

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»

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»

Move likely to cost firm more than $1B

(NEWSER) - Google has given all its employees a little holiday surprise: a $1,000 bonus and a 10% raise starting next year, reports Henry Blodget at Business Insider . And, citing employee feedback, Google will convert a portion of their bonuses to their salary—though merit-based bonuses will still be awarded separately. And just to be swell, Google’s paying the taxes on the $1,000. 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.

Finally, a device that makes people want to pay for content

(NEWSER) - Michael Gerson is a self-proclaimed bibliophile who once loved “everything about used bookstores—the musty smell of decaying paper, the reading copies and remainders, the treasure hunt for a bright volume of an old favorite.” But he hasn’t visited one in years, thanks to his Amazon Kindle, and now that the iPad has arrived, he believes he’s seen the future of print media. Sure, he’s nostalgic, but it’s time to “embrace a new kind of magic.” More»