Fully aware that it's being left behind by Apple and Google, Microsoft is reportedly planning additional senior management changes to bring in more engineering talent. "The move would expand on an effort to promote managers who have engineering skills and experience executing product plans," reports Bloomberg Businessweek. "The overhaul also may quell criticism from the board and investors that Microsoft is falling behind in some markets." "Microsoft needs engineering expertise to run product divisions that are taking on rivals Apple and Google in web services, smartphones and tablet computers," writes VentureBeat.In all, four top executives have left the …

Aircell, the parent company of in-flight wi-fi service Gogo, just raised another $35 million in financing. "That's more than $500 million in total financing raised so far, to bring you Internet access while you're in the air," reports The San Francisco Chronicle. Aircell CEO Michael Small said the company has recently made major financial improvements, and is on the "path to profitability." Small also told SFGate.com that the company's growth curve is accelerating, thanks to more airlines installing wi-fi on more of their planes. During a recent Google-sponsored promotion, Small said that Gogo did 3 million wi-fi sessions …

Omnicom's Diversified Agency Services division has acquired online community builder Communispace. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "Reports that Communispace was looking for a buyer first surfaced in mid-December, and Omnicom was named as a potential suitor alongside various venture capitalists, tech firms and marketing agency holding companies," reports Research magazine. Dismissed at the time, Communispace was reportedly being valued at $100 million. Communispace head Diane Hessan is expected to stay on, and continue to serve as president and chief executive officer. The deal follows Omnicom's Diversified Agency Services' purchase of predictive modeling and advanced analytics …

Daily deal leader Groupon made its Super Bowl debut last night, and -- as is often the case with such spots -- reactions were mixed. The celebrity-infused quasi-controversial ads spoofed popular causes like declining whale populations and deforestation -- suggesting that instead of saving the whales or saving the rain forests, we should all "Save The Money." Says Techcrunch: "Well, Groupon certainly isn't afraid of rustling a few feathers ... They're a little weird, and likely to spark waves of debate and plenty of extra publicity." So as not to appear too cruel, Groupon's Save The Money site …

Despite its marketing might and vast editorial and technological recourses, The Daily is destined to leave many users wanting. Why? Because News Corp.'s new iPad-ready newspaper is "buggy," according to paidContent. As a result, "a lot of that [marketing money] may go to waste and a 'please try again' campaign should be in the works." Right off the bat, paidContent's Staci Kramer ran into problems downloading and installing The Daily at launch. Then, "Getting the second issue open in about 30 seconds didn't seem too bad but it pushed the patience meter," while "Reopening the app later in …

Marking its most aggressive content move yet, AOL is scooping up the Huffington Post for $315 million. "The flashy acquisition ... will become the linchpin of AOL CEO Tim Armstrong's aggressive, if risky, strategy to focus the long-troubled company as a content and advertising powerhouse," writes BoomTown's KaraSwisher. "For AOL, the deal gives them a popular branded site that is very good at generating lots page views and impressions very efficiently." As part of the deal, Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington will become president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group within AOL, where she will oversee …

Six months after its controversial debut, how if Google Instant fairing? According to Ben Gomes, the lead engineer on Google Instant, about 98% of consumers are using the feature, leaving just 2% who have opted out. "We've seen good results with Instant, even after launch," Gomes tells Fast Company. "We found [we have] have a very low opt-out rate." Not bad, considering that Instant was "one of the most radical makeovers of online search in years," in the opinion of the magazine. The results-as-you-type search engine, which flashes answers to predicted queries with each key stroke did draw …

During the Super Bowl, Foursquare plans to test a monetization strategy akin to Twitter's group of "Promoted" products, i.e., its Promoted Tweets, Promoted Users, and Promoted Trending Topics, all of which brands pay for to get more exposure. "Specifically, during the Super Bowl, Foursquare is going to have a 'Promoted Trending Venue' for the first time," reports TechCrunch. Rather than a real location, however, the "venue" will be Super Bowl Sunday, which Foursquare hopes users will check-in to after it's placed at the very top of the "Trending Now" area of the Places area on Foursquare's mobile apps. …

Last week, Google received over 75,000 job applications worldwide -- setting a new record for the company. With its bright interiors and culture of innovation, Google has always been seen as a highly desirable employer. Factor in the poor job market and Google's current hiring spree, and this was perhaps inevitable. This most recent application avalanche bested the company's previous record set in May 2007 by 15%, according to Google spokesman Aaron Zamost. Google, which had 24,400 workers at the end of last year, just announced that it would be adding another 6,000 employees this year. "The company …

Audi says it will be the first brand in history to include a Twitter hashtag at the end of its 60-second Super Bowl spot. The hashtag "#ProgressIs" is expected to flash during the carmaker's TV ad during the first break after kick-off. Viewers who use the hashtag and the URL "audi.us/ProgressIs" in their tweets will be entered to win a trip to Sonoma, California, to test drive an Audi R8 supercar. "The theme ‘ProgressIs' is based on the automaker's new brand positioning, which revolves around the theme expressed in the brand's new tagline: ‘Luxury has progressed,'" reports Mashable. …