In order to focus entirely on its ad network, real-time social search site OneRiot is apparently shutting down its real-time social search portal. "While OneRiot says that realtime search is growing rapidly, it seems that its search portal wasn't bringing home the bacon," reports TechCrunch. That startup recently revamped its search engine to index and rank Likes and links shared by users on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and MySpace. Clearly at a crossroads, the company suffered layoffs this summer, and restructured its executive board, with Tobias Peggs, formerly President in charge of Strategy, Sales, Distribution and Marketing, taking …

Tween-targeted Website Fashion Playtes just raised $4 million in a Series A round led by Fairhaven Capital Partners, along with New Atlantic Ventures, Launch Capital, and Golden Seeds. "Founded in 2009 ... the site's user base has grown exponentially since its inception, boasting over 35,500 unique monthly visitors today, compared to 5,700 in August 2009," reports Vator News. "Founder Sarah MacIlroy has utilized her background in game development and marketing with Midway Amusement Games and Atari to make the site a success." The site offers over two million design and color options for girls to choose from …

Since debuting its ad products to mixed reviews this year, some analysts have questioned Twitter's viability as a mass marketing channel. Yet, new research shows that the micro-blogging service is excelling in one critical area: click-through rates. After analyzing more than a million referral messages, marketing firm SocialTwist found that Twitter yielded an average of 19.04 clicks -- making it by far the most effective tool for click-throughs. By comparison, Facebook only produced 2.87 clicks on average. "This is great news for Twitter, which has hinged its business on Promoted Tweets and Trends, tweet-size …

Demonstrating a new-found willingness to work with online distributors, Universal Music has agreed to license its catalog to online music service eMusic. From U2 and Jay-Z to Smokey Robinson and the Four Tops, eMusic users should soon be able to buy songs from Universal's catalog -- "typically tunes that have been out at least 18 months," according to USAToday.com. The deal represents a major victory for eMusic, which has long been shunned by top music labels for selling music as easily-pirated MP3 files. "Adding the largest slug of (tunes) that we've ever added, 250,000 new tracks, is …

Microsoft on Monday revealed new details about the forthcoming launch of its highly anticipated mobile operating system. Without a hint of hyperbole, some analysts say the relative success or failure of Windows Phone 7 could make or break the software giant. At launch, Windows Phone 7 smartphones will be available in the United States on AT&T's network -- and T-Mobile shortly thereafter -- and be compatible with Samsung, LG and HTC phones. The Windows Phone 7 lineup will eventually include nine phone models available in 30 countries, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a press event on …

Hold the phone! Following several months of investigation and research, Mercury News' Chris O'Brien has concluded: "Nobody knows for sure whether cell phones are a health hazard." Needless to say, "That has surprised me and made me nervous," says O'Brien. According to O'Brien, a small but growing number of scientists and health activists are challenging the largely accepted belief that low levels of radiation generated by cell phones and towers have no effect on human biology. One man leading the charge is noted epidemiologist Devra Davis, a visiting professor at Harvard University, and author of "Disconnect: The …

And you thought the social gaming market was already booming? Analysts tell Reuters that the "fledgling" industry "is revving up for a new wave of acquisitions and consolidation" in 2011. "Among those eying the likes of Zynga or Crowdstar are Web powerhouses seeking to shore up their social networking credentials such as Google Inc and media giants such as News Corp or Viacom Inc seeking new marketing avenues," Reuters reports, citing comments from industry executives and analysts. "The truth is everybody is talking to everybody, every potential buyer is probably talking to just about every social game …

After doubling revenue, video-search engine and ad firm Blinkx said expects to beat the street's expectations thanks to increased searches and partnerships with the BBC and AccuWeather. For the six months ending September, Blinkx plans to report revenue of about $27 million, and operating profit of more than $1 million, beating analysts' predictions of $630,000, according to Reuters. "Company founder and Chief Executive Suranga Chandratillake said the group would benefit from rapid growth in video advertising, noting that eMarketer estimates this market to jump by almost 500 percent over the next four years to $11.3 billion," Reuters …

Russian Internet company Mail.ru Group -- which boasts strategic investments in some top U.S. Web companies - is inching closer to an IPO valued at about $750 million, reports The Wall Street Journal. Noting major shareholders from Russia, China, and South Africa, "The deal highlights the growing independence of emerging-market Internet firms from their developed-market peers," notes The Journal. Mail.ru expects the IPO would take place this year on the London Stock Exchange, at which point existing shareholders will list global depositary receipts, each valued equivalent to one share. "The company may be valued at around $5 …

How are "the Internets" going to keep up with consumers' voracious digital appetites? To lessen the strain, Alcatel-Lucent recently announced a system for telecommunications service providers, which, according to The New York Times, "takes advantage of both the polarization and phases of light to encode data." Science aside, what does that mean for service providers and users? Apparently, the system can more than double the capacity of a single fiber, James Watt, head of the company's optics division, tells The Times. "Such a system, for example, can transmit more than twice the number of high-definition TV channels …