For marketers, the big Twitter story is all about the popularity the microblogging service has generated for a handful of brands so far, including JetBlue, Comcast and the National Basketball Association, reports Advertising Age's Michael Learmonth. Comcast uses the powerful messaging tool to address customer service issues, the NBA uses it to keep users up to date on the latest news and scores, and JetBlue's Morgan Johnston, manager of corporate communications, uses Twitter to create "a deeper level of engagement with our customers that fosters loyalty." JetBlue has just over 200,000 followers, while the NBA has 140,000 in just two …

The recession is giving the online world its first glimpse of the kind of companies that actually benefit from an economic downturn. Job-focused social networks, discount retailers, online pawnbrokers, and interestingly, online dating sites, are proving to be popular destinations in tough times. The Economist explores the reasons why dating sites in particular are seeing a recessionary uptick. Greg Waldorf, CEO of eHarmony, thinks it's because people seek companionship in hard times. "People who have been single for years are suddenly focused on finding someone," he says. "Going through difficult times with someone special is better than doing it alone." …

Kara Swisher confirms that former AOL CEO Jonathan Miller is set to take over as digital head of News Corporation, replacing the outgoing Peter Levinsohn. The move was first reported by the blog Deadline Hollywood Daily. According to Swisher, Miller has not yet officially signed up for the job, as he is still under a non-compete agreement with AOL parent Time Warner, which runs out in three days. Last year, Miller was barred from taking a seat on Yahoo's board due to this non-compete. Sources said News Corp. would likely announce the hire later today or Tuesday. Miller is …

A free Skype for iPhone application will be available for download from the iTunes App Store sometime tomorrow and CNet's Jessica Dolcourt reviews the hotly-anticipated app. In terms of navigation, Dolcourt says the Skype app looks and feels like it belongs on the iPhone, which she says will be "a triumph" for some. Just like the Web application, Skype for the iPhone offers free VoIP calling to other Skype users, but it only works if you're in range of a Wi-Fi network. Calls will not work over the Apple wireless network, but chatting will. IPhone Touch users will also be …

The Guardian's Helienne Lindvall is none too impressed by Wired Editor Chris Anderson's "freeconomics" theory, which will be outlined in his forthcoming book on the subject. After seeing Anderson's keynote at SXSW interactive, Lindvall says, "I was really hoping he would have the panacea he proclaims, but just as The Long Tail (his prior book) has its flaws, so does this one -- at least when it comes to music." In fact, Anderson uses the music business in China as an example of how piracy creates celebrity, which in turn creates cash. "Chinese pop stars make money not off music …

Skype is apparently close to launching an iPhone version of its P2P voice and IM service, says Om Malik. "A tipster -- a very reliable one -- tells me that Skype is almost ready to launch that iPhone version, perhaps as soon as next week," he says, adding that the announcement will likely come at next week's CTIA Wireless event in Las Vegas. Skype already offers a Windows Mobile version of its client. "As I've said before, Skype will have to turn to mobile to keep its growth intact," says Malik. He points out that services like iSkoot have stopped …

BusinessWeek's Spencer E. Ante reports that Facebook has been trying to secure as much as $100 million in debt financing over the past few weeks, at a time when banks and other lenders are becoming more cautious about extending credit to companies. Facebook is aiming to use the credit lines to help it finance leases for the growing number of computers needs to run its popular Web site. As Ante notes, such leases are a common way to finance equipment purchases in Silicon Valley. The social network has been shopping for credit from a large number of financial institutions, including …

Federated Media, which on Monday announced that it would aggregate executive feeds onto a Twitter page currently sponsored by Microsoft, is bringing a similar idea to the NCAA College Basketball tournament. Called MarchTweetness, the new site lets you tweet with others who are watching the same tournament game. The site will be sponsored by telecom giant AT&T. As VentureBeat's Eric Eldon notes, this is the second vertical site launched by Twitter and FM this week, and others are sure to follow. Eldon says this strategy, currently the only up-and-running revenue model for Twitter, is somewhat problematic for third-party developers, who …