Engadget has new details about Nexus One, the world's first Google-branded smartphone. It looks like the highly-anticipated device will initially only be available on an invitation basis. "Our tipster doesn't have information on how those invites are going to be determined, other than the fact that it's Google doing the inviting -- if we had to guess, current registered developers are a strong possibility -- but the good news, we suppose, is that T-Mobile will apparently sell the phone directly at some to-be-determined point in the future," according to Engadget. In addition, the phone will feature Adroid 2.1 …

The Huffington Post has plenty to celebrate and the end of 2009. The news and blogging hub recently received its first batch of data from ComScore's new measurement service, ComScore Direct, which employs "beaconing" -- which records every time there's a server call on a given Web page as opposed to the standard ComScore audience measurement service, which is panel-based, relying on a relatively small group of volunteers willing to have their Internet usage recorded. (ComScore Direct says this method is believed to provide a more accurate view of Internet usage that takes place while people are at work, since …

Showing how swiftly the winds of fortune can shift across the digital landscape, Yahoo is reportedly planning to kill its cross-blog social networking widget MyBlogLog next month. The service, which shows blog writers and readers the faces and profile information of other MyBlogLog users that visit their sites, was heralded as a wildly innovative service when it first debuted in 2004, and likewise when Yahoo acquired it in 2007 for $10 million. "It made a deal with users: Give us your personal information and we'll show you the faces of people who read your …

Surprising even itself, Gizmodo reports that AT&T beat out Verizon Wireless in a test to see which carrier had the fastest 3G network nationwide. "We tested the ability of the networks to deliver 3G data in and around cities, including both concrete canyons and picket-fenced 'burbs." What it didn't test was dropped voice calls, customer service, or overall map coverage.Still, AT&T was measurably faster, download-wise, in 6 of the 12 markets where Gizmodo tested -- including New York and Los Angeles -- and held a significantly higher national average than the other carriers. Verizon won out in 4 …

The launch of Mozilla Firefox's first mobile phone version is just "days away," according to a project head at the popular Web browser maker. Codenamed Fennec, the browser will initially be available for Nokia's N900 phone, with other handsets to follow. In particular, Mozilla is presently developing versions for Microsoft's Windows mobile and Google's Android operating system. The open-source browser will be able to synchronize with the desktop version so that when Web pages are opened in a user's desktop browser, they will automatically open to their mobile counterpart. Explaining the rationale for such a feature, a Firefox …

The White House on Tuesday tapped a former Bush administration official to orchestrate the government's strategy for protecting national computer systems. Howard A. Schmidt, who was a cyber-adviser in President George W. Bush's White House, will be President Obama's new cybersecurity coordinator. A letter posted on the White House Web site said Schmidt will "have regular access to the President and serve as a key member of his National Security Staff ... He will also work closely with his economic team to ensure that our cybersecurity efforts keep the Nation secure and prosperous." According to The Washington Post, …

Despite a steady stream of criticism directed toward Google, the search giant is maintaining that its ways remain good for users and the broader digital universe. In its latest attempt to spell out what it's all about, Jonathan Rosenberg, the company's SVP of product management, explains in an open letter what 'open' means at Google. "At Google we believe that open systems win ... They lead to more innovation, value, and freedom of choice for consumers, and a vibrant, profitable, and competitive ecosystem for businesses ... Many companies will claim roughly the same thing since they know that …

The Wall Street Journal reports that both CBS and Disney are expressing interest in Apple's proposal to stream subscribed TV content via iTunes. According to sources, Apple has been in talks with multiple networks. Calling it "Cable TV's Appleocalypse," Fast Company says the rumor makes sense on many levels, starting with the fact that Apple and Disney have had close ties for years, and Steve Jobs is still Disney's largest single shareholder. Meanwhile, Apple's recent purchase of streaming-content provider Lala would give the company much-needed expertise on wiring streaming content into iTunes. From the networks' perspective, meanwhile, Apple …

Searching for answers -- and even signs of life -- the media on Tuesday continued to pick through the smoldering remains of Google's failed attempt to acquire local reviews site Yelp for over $500 million. Talking to The Times' Bits blog, one source briefed on the negotiations challenged the popular notion that it was Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppleman who called off the deal at the eleventh hour. Insisting that it was in fact Google's call, "The person said that Google executives believed that their counterparts at Yelp weren't being 'transparent,'" while "the executives also didn't want to let the …

Thanks to separate search indexing deals with Google and Microsoft, Bloomberg BusinessWeek is reporting that Twitter is now a profitable company. First announced in October, Twitter's multiyear agreements with Google and Microsoft's Bing are reportedly worth $15 million and $10 million, respectively. According to unnamed sources, Twitter also achieved profitability by reducing expenses. For example, it has gained bargaining power with telecom companies -- which it relies on for distributing billions of text messages over wireless networks -- and has managed to renegotiate so many deals with carriers that the company pays far less for the services.