Being Google has its advantages and disadvantages. Sure, you're a huge target for cyber crimes, but you can also enlist the National Security Agency, i.e., the world's most powerful and clandestine electronic surveillance organization, to help catch the criminals. In particular, the search giant is interested in the attack that recently occurred in China, and targeted its computer networks. The objective, according to The Washington Post, "is to better defend Google -- and its users -- from future attack." Not surprisingly, Google and the NSA are keeping mum on the partnership, but, sources tell WaPo that the alliance …

Thought Amazon would just rollover for the iPad, and resign itself to second-class e-reader status? Then you don't know Jeff Bezos. In a sign of things to come, The Times is reporting that Amazon just acquired Touchco - a small New York-based start-up that specializes in touch-screen technology. To boot, ZDNet is reporting that Bill Veghte -- Microsoft's recently-departed Windows SVP -- will be joining Amazon.com to work on the Kindle. Touchco's technology is designed to work well with full-color LCD screens, similar to those used in the iPad. As such, …

Alex Bogusky's mom thinks he's about to take over 32 agencies... and so does Fast Company -- sort of. The co-founder of Crispin Porter + Bogusky has in fact been named Chief Creative Insurgent at CP+B parent MDC Partners. In this new position, according to Fast Company, "he'll find himself Insurgent-ing over MDC's 32 agencies." Describing that as perhaps a slight mischaracterization, Bogusky said on his blog: "They probably assumed that Chief Creative Insurgent was another way of saying Global Creative Director." Yet, as said in a letter to MDC staff: "I won't be flying from …

Digg has a MySpace problem -- or at least according to the Thomson Reuters-owned Private Equity Hub blog. No, the problem is not MySpace. Rather, PeHub suggests that, like MySpace, Digg's best days are behind it. "Reportedly courted by Google in 2008, the five-year-old news aggregator has been elbowed out of the spotlight -- and traffic rankings -- by six-year-old Facebook and three-year-old Twitter," PeHub writes. In its defense, the blog believes that Digg is taking measures to prevent its demise. "It may have lost some of its first-mover mojo, but the San Francisco-based company -- which …

Nexus One -- HTC's Google Android 2.1-powered smartphone -- just received its first software update. Among other updates, the phones will now support 3G connectivity; pinch-to-zoom functionality; and Google Maps 3.4, including starred items synchronized with maps.google.com. The Nexus One was the first mobile phone delivered to market with Google's mobile operating system, as well as the first sold on Google's own web store. The new "firmware solution" will be delivered "over-the-air" to existing owners.

For a good ol' geek fight, head over to Search Engine Land where Danny Sullivan is takin' it to Mark Cuban. Inspired by Cuban's remarks on Tuesday to the effect that Google aggregates the life out of publishers, Sullivan notes: "This is the same Mark Cuban who is an investor in Mahalo, which touts to advertisers how it taps into Google to generate page views ... Is Google a vampire except when it works in Cuban's favor?" During a speech at the OnMedia conference in New York, Cuban said readers who find headlines via Google rarely …

Adding to Amazon's long list of potential threats, Rupert Murdoch has expressed his displeasure with the e-book seller's pricing model. Murdoch's News Corp. controls HarperCollins, and, by extension, the distribution of such blockbuster authors as Michael Crichton and Janet Evanovich. "We don't like the Amazon model of selling everything at $9.99," he said during a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. "They pay us the wholesale price of $14 or whatever we charge ... But I think it really devalues books and it hurts all the retailers of the hard cover books." Clearly smelling blood in the water …

Despite its newfangled features and futuristic sex appeal, analysts and consumers are still wondering how the iPad will establish itself as a matchless, must-have device. One possibility -- if certain software developers and textbook publishers have their way -- is education. According to The Wall Street Journal, major textbook publishers have already struck deals with software company ScrollMotion to adapt their titles -- along with graphic-rich supplementary applications, "test-preps," and study guides -- for the "electronic page." "To see where this is going in the more immediate future," writes Gizmodo, …

Risking its readership's loyalty, gadget blog Engadget has temporarily taken away the ability to comment on posts. "Over the past few days the tone in comments has really gotten out of hand," Engadget explains. "What is normally a charged -- but fun -- environment for our users and editors has become mean, ugly, pointless, and frankly threatening in some situations... and that's just not acceptable." According to Engadget, "Our commenting community makes up only a small percentage of our readership (and the bad eggs an even smaller part of that number)." If the commenters are typical, the …

It's consolidation time for the Web's many mobile app directories. Appolicious, a popular iPhone and Android app directory is acquiring AppVee, which provides thorough video reviews of iPhone and Android apps. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. AppVee debuted in 2008, shortly after the launch of the iTunes App Store. As part of the acquisition, AppVee reviewers will continue to write for both sites in addition to Appolicious. The sites will maintain their respective styles, while Appolicious is expected to add more social benefits, like letting users create profiles, create lists, and the like.