Fresh backing for web phone firm

1. Fresh backing for web phone firm

Broadband phone company Vonage has said it has raised $250m (£142m) to help finance the expansion of its network.

For more on this:
- read full story from BBC News, Dec 19 2005


2. Google 'close to $1bn AOL deal'

Google is expected to announce later this week that it will pay $1bn (£565m) for a 5% stake in America Online. The planned deal, which follows intense negotiations between the two US internet giants, would value Time Warner's troubled AOL unit at $20bn.

For more on this:
- read full story from BBC News, Dec 19 2005



3. Carphone buys up OneTel for £132m

Europe's biggest mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse has splashed out more than £140m on a buying spree in an effort to "compete head on" with BT.

For more on this:
- read full story from BBC News, Dec 19 2005


4. Experts see shares slide as Baidu opens lock-up

Shares of Baidu.com have fallen as much as 9.7 percent since Tuesday, when the company said it would allow insider shareholders to start liquidating their holdings more than a year earlier than was planned at the time of its initial public offering on August 5.

For more on this:
- read full story from CNET News.com, Dec 17 2005


5. Yahoo mail beta gets mostly rave reviews

Yahoo on Friday expanded its new mail beta to a broad group of both free and Mail Plus users, a spokeswoman confirmed.

For more on this:
- read full story from CNET News, Dec 17 2005

6. 'Hope you're still alive': site e-mails the future

In the year 2009, on the 25th of April, a man named Greg is supposed to get an e-mail. The e-mail will remind Greg that he is his best friend and worst enemy, that he once dated a woman named Michelle, and that he planned to major in computer science.

For more on this:
- read full story from scmp.com, Dec 19 2005


7. Yahoo helps customers measure ad effectiveness

Yahoo on Friday launched a service that will let companies advertising on its sites see how well their online ads are faring--and compare those numbers with their radio, television and print advertising campaigns.

For more on this:
- read full story from CNET News.com, Dec 16 2005


8. Icahn seeks to derail Google as partner of AOL

Dissident shareholder Carl Icahn on Monday labeled as "disastrous" a new deal set to be unveiled this week between Time Warner Inc.'s America Online unit and Web search leader Google Inc. , as the billionaire investor argued that AOL could do better.

For more on this:
- read full story from reuters, Dec 19 2005


9. Web Sites Let Users Send E-Mail to Future

In the year 2009, on the 25th of April, a man named Greg is supposed to get an e-mail. The e-mail will remind Greg that he is his best friend and worst enemy, that he once dated a woman named Michelle, and that he planned to major in computer science.

For more on this:
- read full story from Yahoo! News, Dec 19 2005

10. Google Jabbers And Jingles

No, Jingle is not a Christmas promotion from Google, though it does involve a "gift" from Google.

For more on this:
- read full story from internetnews.com, Dec 19 2005