BPI -- the UK's top recording industry association -- has sent a cease-and-desist order to Google, politely asking the search engine to take down links to nine "one-click hosting" sites, each of which hosts thousands of illegal songs. BPI's complaint cites 38 links "that are available via Google's search engine, and [requests these] links be removed as soon a possible as they directly link to sound recordings owned by [BPI] members," reports paidContent:UK. The links reportedly point to such classics as K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag" to Michael Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet," plus tracks by Eminem and the …

Salesforce.com has debuted a Facebook-style social network for companies named Chatter. The network provides team members with their own profiles, and the ability to follow other members' activity. Salesforce has also added the ability to form and work in groups. "Perhaps more important is the fact that Chatter isn't limited to people -- users can also get alerts when documents and accounts are updated," notes SocialBeat. Outside developers are also being encouraged to build their own Chatter apps, and embed Chatter features into existing tools. The service is available for free to users with existing Salesforce accounts, …

Further testing consumers' patience over privacy and personal information sharing, Apple is now reportedly collecting the "precise," "real-time geographic location" of iPhone, iPad and even computer users. To cover its back, "In an updated version of its privacy policy, the company added a paragraph noting that once users agree, Apple and unspecified 'partners and licensees' may collect and store user location data," reports The Los Angeles Times. "This sounds reasonable, except that all iPhone users who want to download applications or media via the iTunes Store are forced to agree to the policy," …

There's a chance that Dell could add Google's Chrome operating system to its laptops, Reuters is reporting. The partnership would put Chrome -- expected to launch later this year -- in a far better position to compete against Microsoft's Windows. Amit Midha, Dell's president for Greater China and South Asia, appears to be quite bullish on the technological advancements being made by Google -- and it work in cloud computing, in particular. "There are going to be unique innovations coming up in the marketplace in two, three years, with a …

Google gathered sensitive data, including user passwords, when putting together its Street View service, claims French data protection agency CNIL, which is now considering prosecuting the search firm. "The data was gathered as Google logged wi-fi hotspots to help it develop location-based services," reports the BBC. Previously, Google said there was 'no harm, no foul' in collecting the data. Along with various other data protection agencies around the world, CNIL reportedly asked Google to disclose copies of the data it gathered to find out if privacy laws had been breached. CNIL chairman Alex Turk said Google handed the data …

A "significant number" of U.S. states will be conducting an investigation into Google's gathering of personal data via wireless networks, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Monday. In a statement Blumenthal said his office would be leading a probe into Google's gathering of information about the data being transferred over unsecured wireless networks with its Street View cars -- "which Google has said was inadvertent," reports MarketWatch. Google's Street View cars gather data, including photos, for the company's Internet mapping services. "Last month, Google disclosed that the cars had also been gathering so-called 'payload' data about the sites being …

Despite the efforts of YouTube of other top video hosts, the Web still lags behind TV in closed-captioning. "Media companies say they are working hard to make online video more accessible," reports The New York Times. "But big gaps remain much to the dismay of deaf Web users ... Television episodes on CBS.com, news videos on CNN.com and entertainment clips on MSN.com all lack captions, to name a few." The Times, meanwhile, calls NBC.com "inconsistent" in its close-captioning efforts. YouTube is credited with supplying the accurate captions using voice-recognition software, while ESPN is offering captions for its live streams …

The cash-strapped California Legislature is considering a bill that would allow the state to begin researching the use of ad supported electronic license plates for vehicles. The device would resemble a standard license plate when a vehicle was is in motion, but switch to digital ads -- or other messages -- when stationary for more than four seconds. "The move is intended as a moneymaker for a state facing a $19 billion deficit," reports Mercury News. To be clear, the license plate number would remain visible at all times in some section of the screen, and, during emergencies, the …

Hitting Amazon where it hurts, Barnes & Noble just unveiled a $149 Wi-Fi-only Nook e-reader. To boot, the bookseller is also lowering the price of its 3G-enabled Nook from $259 to $199. The changes represent "the first serious attempt at undercutting Amazon's Kindle e-reader business with a store and hardware combo," Fast Company writes. "But it's more than that: It's a sign of the changing e-reader game," which the magazine calls a "the beginning of the race to the bottom." In other words, as with netbooks, e-readers are destined to become cheaper, and less differentiated. Fast Company calls the …

Apple just released an update to its MobileMe Web apps, including a major interface redesign and some new features. "Users can now set filtering rules online in MobileMe Mail, which makes organizing mail before it hits your inbox more convenient," reports Computerworld. "Other new features include a one-click message archive option (like Gmail), rich-text formatting when composing messages, a third view mode in case you don't like the three-column view, and more." Separately, Apple has released a new Find My iPhone app for the iPhone and iPad. "If someone loses their device, they can enter their MobileMe …