When Microsoft releases Office 2010 next month, the software giant "will complete an effort to move its extensive portfolio of applications to the cloud," and, thus, spoil Google's bid for cloud supremacy. So says Computerworld, adding that the move couldn't come soon enough. "While Microsoft has a vast installed base of customers who use its Office suite of products heavily, its mindshare is clearly declining as more and more users embrace Google Apps." It should be noted that Microsoft is no stranger to cloud computing. Indeed, the company has at least 15 years of experience in the …

Glam Media this week began a domestic roll out of its GlamMobile mobile publishing platform for the iPad and mobile devices. The network, which has been available in Japan for some time, will purportedly let some 1,500 publishers optimize their sites for the mobile Web, while offers advertisers cross-platform reach. Like many publishers, Glam sees the iPad as an opportunity to bridge the gap between magazine-like glossy content and the digital world. "It's wise for Glam to try to make its publisher network cross platform with a mobile offering," reasons TechCrunch. "It's sure to draw even more …

The Huffington Post is debuting a "Twitter edition," which it tells paidContent "is intended to serve as an extension and a distinct entity from the main news and opinion site." Furthermore, the new service should "harness the social networking aspects of the site to create a real-time news service for each of HuffPo's 19 sections." The publisher recently introduced sponsored Tweets across a number of channels, but execs tell paidContent that monetization of the medium remains an afterthought for now. The top priority at the moment is broad user adoption. Rather than catering to fleeting consumer trends …

Perhaps with the exception of Twitter, Facebook has been the focus of more parities, disparagement, and "fault lists" than any other modern media phenomenon. As such, it was only a matter of time before the social critics at South Park had their way with world's most popular social network. Gawker.tv has five, count 'em five (with commentary of course), clips. Or watch the full "very special" episode at South Park Studios.

Potentially inspiring greater creative innovation across multiple platforms, the Producer's Guild of America has sanctioned a new credit for "Transmedia Producers," for narrative extensions on three or more platforms which it specifies is "NOT the same as repurposing material from one platform to be cut or repurposed to different platforms." For example, this extension for the forthcoming Iron Man 2 could qualify. A Transmedia Producer credit will now be given to professionals responsible for "a significant portion of a project's long-term planning, development, production, and/or maintenance of narrative continuity across multiple platforms, and creation of original …

Setting itself apart from Google, Microsoft has pledged not to tailor the ads that users' see based the content of their personal emails. "This is enshrined in policy across all our online services," Tim O'Brien, Microsoft senior director of platform strategy, said with regard to the company's hosted applications, and Hotmail in particular. To target ads, Microsoft does collect information on consumers' gender, age, and "preferences" -- but not any data directly traceable to an individual. Reached for comment, a Google representative confirmed that its Gmail platform performs an automatic software scan for keywords in emails to …

Cloud storage and document sharing technology provider Box.net has raised $15 million on Series C funding led by Scale Venture Partners, along with help from existing investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and U.S. Venture Partners participating. The startup, which has now raised $29.5 million, didn't disclose the valuation for the round. The funds will be used to further build out the company's platform, and flesh out its sales and engineering staffs. Founded in 2005, Box.net has reported a 500% rise in revenue from 2008 to 2009, and a record first quarter -- up 300% from the first quarter …

Top VC's "desperately" want a piece of Foursquare -- which they're valuating at $100 million -- according to Business Insider, but not because they think it's the next Twitter, or that the location-based social network can crack the local advertising nut. On the contrary, Foursquare is so prized because there are so few viable startups at the moment, sources tell Business Insider. "From [VC's] perspective, there are very few consumer-facing startups with the ambition of Foursquare," sources say. "Foursquare is the only deal to get ... Meanwhile, there's a ton of VCs firms with piles of cash." …

Apple is about to introduce its mobile ad platform, which sources tell media Memo that Google is expected to applaud loudly. Why? "Because Google is trying to convince federal regulators that it has advertising rivals so that it can proceed with its $750 million purchase of AdMob," writes the blog. The AdMob deal is being held for review by the FCC, as rumors circulate that the purchase could be rejected. Apple, for its part, made its mobile advertising ambitions clear at the beginning of the year when it acquired Quattro Wireless for $275 million. Similar to AdMob, …

Representing a serious setback for net neutrality advocates, a federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected the Federal Communications Commission's claim that Comcast couldn't manage Internet traffic on its network and block BitTorrent data. "At stake is how far the FCC can go to dictate the way Internet providers like AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. manage traffic on their multibillion-dollar networks," The Journal writes. Far from ending the battle, however, "This ruling may have just stirred the pot of uncertainty more," writes ZDNet's Between The Lines blog. …