Boosting Google's non-search-advertising-related efforts, Omnicom has agreed to channel hundreds of millions of display ad dollars through the search giant over the next two years. "Under the deal, Omnicom ... is expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy display ads for its clients through Google over the next two years," reports The Wall Street Journal, citing a person familiar with the deal. "In return, Google will work with Omnicom to build a global 'trading desk' that allows the company to buy display ads more easily on Google's ad exchange, an auction-like system that …

Given Google's unrivaled ability to steer Web traffic and its increasing stakes in specific verticals, The New York Times suggests in an Op-Ed that someone keep a closer on the company's search ranking practices. "The potential impact of Google's algorithm on the Internet economy is such that it is worth exploring ways to ensure that the editorial policy guiding Google's tweaks is solely intended to improve the quality of the results and not to help Google's other businesses," writes The Times' editorial board. One idea proposed by the paper is to have Google explain "with some specified …

The respective mobile strategies of Apple and Google have benefited greatly from the hard work of devoted developer communities. Hoping to inspire similar devotion, Microsoft is paying developers to build mobile applications for its Windows Phone 7 system, according to Bloomberg. "The company is providing financial incentives ranging from free tools and test handsets to funds for software development and marketing," Bloomberg reports based on interviews with Todd Brix, a senior director at Microsoft who works with app developers. "In some cases, Microsoft is providing revenue guarantees, and will make up the difference if apps don't sell …

Along with those already offered by Google and Microsoft, does the market really have room for another virtual mapping service? Well, we might soon find out amid reports that Apple has purchased a Quebec-based maker of Web-based mapping technology and interactive 3-D software. French-Canadian news site Le Soleil is reporting that Poly9 has been purchased by Apple. If true, the purchase of Poly9 would be the second mapping related acquisition for the software giant -- following last year's acquisition of Google Maps competitor Placebase -- notes Apple Insider. "Some have …

Hosted content service Squarespace just closed a $38 million round of financing led by Accel Partners and Index Ventures. The 7-year-old company competes directly with WordPress and Six Apart, among other hosted content services. "This is the first financing round for Squarespace, which has mostly flown under the radar compared with some of its more high-profile competitors," notes GigaOm. "One reason Squarespace doesn't get as much attention as some of the other blog-hosting and content services could be that it doesn't offer a free version." The company's publishing packages, which include hosting, various themes and other services, …

To promote "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films are officially the first partners to test out Twitter's new ecommerce deal product @EarlyBird. "Twitter is partnering with advertisers to distribute offers via the @EarlyBird account, and they get to determine the terms of the offer, including availability, amount, and pricing," reports TechCrunch. Deals will be published via the @EarlyBird handle several times a week, with more deals to come. The get the service off the ground, Twitter is working directly with social buying startup Groupon and "invite-only" sample sale site Gilt. "We originally thought …

More than 20 car brands now support the "Send-To-Car" service offered by Google Maps, the search giant said Wednesday. "Combine that with Google's free turn-by-turn directions over the Android platform and we are seeing a paradigm shift in the way that the navigation business is working," writes The Next Web. Google debuted the service three years ago with launch partner BMW. "As of today, drivers of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles in the US, enabled with Ford SYNC, can now send business listings or addresses found on Google Maps directly to their cars," explains the Google Lat …

Abort Mission Microsoft! We've Been Compromised! ... Microsoft said Wednesday that it employed the 12th alleged member of the Russian spy ring that, until recently, was secretly operating in the U.S. The man, a Russian citizen in his early 20s named Alexey Karetnikov, worked for Microsoft as a software tester for about nine months, the software giant told Bloomberg/Businessweek Wednesday. Earlier this month, ten members of the spy ring pleaded guilty to conspiring to serve as unregistered foreign agents. "They admitted to carrying money or coded messages, secretly communicating with Russian officials and instructing others on how …

Like some unstoppable supernatural force that corrupts everything it touches, Facebook is steadily remaking the Web in its own image. Last month, Yahoo integrated Facebook's features directly onto its homepage and social Pulse feature. Now comes word that Microsoft has integrated Facebook and Windows Live Messenger into Outlook, which will bring Facebook newsfeeds into millions of user inboxes. Last year, Microsoft launched Outlook Social Connector, a plug-in that syncs social networking feeds with one's Outlook contacts, giving you immediate data on what they are doing and thinking. LinkedIn was the first network to integrate with Outlook Social …

Various PR experts are telling CultofMac.com that an iPhone 4 recall is "inevitable" now that Consumer Reports has concluded that the phone's "Death Grip" antenna issue is a hardware flaw. "Apple will be forced to do a recall of this product," Professor Matthew Seeger, cited as an expert in crisis communication, tells the blog. "It's critically important. The brand image is the most important thing Apple has. This is potentially devastating." Dr. Larry Barton, another expert in crisis management and author of "Crisis Leadership Now," said: "Apple needs to put this fire out now ... There has …