AOL raised eyebrows back in November when it announced plans to begin partly automating its online news reporting process. Under the auspices of Seed.com, AOL is now employing an algorithmic system that trawls the Web for stories that readers are likely to prefer, and then parses out story assignments among a large freelance staff. The result? "AOL's media borg Seed.com can't stop its horde of desperate underemployed journalists from mobbing story subjects, like the angry woman who heard from seven Seed writers in six days," writes Gawker. If with a smidgen of sarcasm, Gawker -- which has …

Microsoft's Internet Explorer isn't the only Web browser to be occasionally befouled by cyber attacks and malware. Rival Mozilla just confirmed that it failed to detect malware in a pair of Firefox add-ons, which may have infected up to 4,600 users. And, while the add-ons have been removed from Firefox's official add-on download site, the mishap shows that any browser can fall victim to malicious attacks. Both add-ons were in the "experimental" area of Firefox's add-on download site, where newer extensions remain until they undergo a public review process. "Any Windows users who installed one of the …

On Thursday, The Times ran an op-ed by Dick Brass, in which the former Microsoft VP harshly criticized the software giant for loosing its innovative mojo. Microsoft's official response? "Obviously," blogs Frank Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft, "we disagree. :)" Like a 3rd Grade homework assignment, Shaw goes on to explain what "innovation" means to Microsoft. "At the highest level, we think about innovation in relation to its ability to have a positive impact in the world," he writes. "For Microsoft, it is not sufficient to simply have a good idea, or a …

Threatening marketers' ability to target consumers by locality, Apple is warning iPhone app developers not to user location data "primarily" for targeting ads. "Many mobile developers are planning on monetizing their apps precisely through location-based advertising," notes ReadWriteWeb. What's more, "There's no clear criteria for how much advertising is too much, and perhaps Apple will exercise discretion in recognizing advertisements as merely supplemental to other features in many apps, but the language used by the company is wholly disconcerting and is another great example of the perils of developing on a closed platform like the iPhone." The …

Speaking of backlashes, the third major publisher has called for Amazon to change its e-book pricing model on the heels of Apple's official entrance into the space. Following the lead of MacMillan and HarperCollins, Hachette now wants to raise the prices at which its sells e-books on Amazon. To date, Amazon has charged a flat rate of $9.99 per e-book. Apple -- about to challenge Amazon's Kindle e-reader with the iPad -- has suggested that publishers charge from $12.99 to $14.99 for "hardcover bestsellers," or just set their own prices. According to Gizmodo, this will likely be the …

Let the backlash begin! Facebook late Thursday began rolling out a new site redesign, which is sure to rile its most vocal members. "Unlike previous overhauls that focused on visual appeal, the new Facebook changes are more about improving site navigation and placing useful information and links on one side of the Webpage," PC World notes. The most interesting tweak, according to VentureBeat, is the site's revamped search function. "When you type in names, it auto-completes for people who are the closest to you by social proximity -- e.g. the people you …

New deal details continue to emerge a day after Monster announced plans to buy HotJobs from Yahoo. According to an SEC filing, Yahoo has agreed, subject to certain exceptions, that it will not compete with Monster for three years following the closing in "online recruitment services and employment solutions." Both have agreed not to solicit certain employees of the other for two years following the closing." Also of note, the first talks between Monster and HotJobs apparently began all the way back in October 2008. Points out paidContent: "That means the asset sale process started way before …

According to TechCrunch, 5min is dominating the how-to video space. The syndication platform for instructional, knowledge and lifestyle videos -- both professionally produced and user-generated -- attracted 30.5 million unique viewers in December, according to comScore. To that number into perspective, AOL saw 30 million unique viewers that month. In terms of videos streamed, 5min saw 75.4 million streams, while its video library now boasts 150,000 videos across a variety of categories from food and health, to home and garden. What's the site's secret? TechCrunch attributes its success largely to partnerships for branded content some top media …

Nearly nothing has changed in 10 years when it comes to the consumption of news online, according to new numbers from Hitwise. The big portals and search engines -- delivering what ReadWriteWeb calls "their version of news" -- remain in control. And, according to ReadWriteWeb, "That's bad for independent thinking and human free will." The best hope for free thinkers and proponents of free will? Facebook, which recently called to users to subscribe to news outlets from within its network. According to Hitwise, Facebook already drives 350 times as much traffic to other websites in the "news …

Dick Brass, vice president at Microsoft from '97 to '04, is wondering -- out loud ... in a Times Op-Ed -- why the software giant, "no longer brings us the future, whether it's tablet computers like the iPad, e-books like Amazon's Kindle, smartphones like the BlackBerry and iPhone, search engines like Google, digital music systems like iPod and iTunes or popular Web services like Facebook and Twitter." In part, Brass -- who takes credit for "largely" failing to make tablet PCs and e-readers happen at Microsoft a decade ago -- suggests that the company's creative failure comes …